2001-02Regular SeasonRound 1
October 11, 2001 CET: 21:00
Local time: 21:00 YAD ELIYAHU SPORTS PALACE

In front of 10,000 yellow-clad fans, one of the favorites for this season, Maccabi Tel Aviv, opened its Euroleague campaign on Thursday with an 82-70 win over visiting Alba Berlin. Maccabi showed that they have a very diverse team as all 12 players played against the Germans. But again it was Arriel McDonald above the rest of the players with 18 points that gave Maccabi this victory, a first step in what the team hopes to be yet another season of reaching at least to the Final Four.

Maccabi started on a 6-0 run and allowed Berlin its first points from the line by Alexis after three minutes. Jiri Zidek, the 2.12-meter center of the German champions surprised Maccabi with three consecutive three-pointers to put Alba ahead with 15-13. Saffar equalized with a good first shot and Berlin with no really good reason let Zidek rest. When Maccabi took a 12-3 run it was obvious it was a big mistake. Maccabi made lots of substitutions to keep everybody fresh. Two great steals towards the end of second half made Maccabi's lead even bigger, with McDonald scoring a three-pointer helped bsend his team to the lockerroom ahead 50-34.

The beginning of the second half was nothing like the end of the first one. Maccabi stopped running and Alba took advantage of that to cut down Maccabis lead to 41-51. After scoring 50 points in the first half Maccabi managed to score only 9 points in the first 8 minutes after the break, but Hussein Besok managed to stop this drought. McDonald continued his excellent game and opened a 74-58 lead midway through the final quarter. Zidek with 20 points and Alexis with 17 tried to get Alba back to the game in the fourth period, but it was to late and too little against Mcdonald, Besok (13 points), Huffman, who added 11 points and the rest of Maccabi.

Thursday, October 11, 2001
Eran Sela, Tel Aviv
No results found.
Referees: KOUKOULEKIDIS, STELIOS; DOZAI, SRDAN; ZAMOJSKI, JAKUB
Attendance: 10000
By Quarter1234
Maccabi Elite27231616
Alba Berlin18161719
End of Quarter1234
Maccabi Elite27506682
Alba Berlin18345170
Maccabi Elite
  Rebounds Blocks Fouls
# Player Min Pts 2FG 3FG FT O D T As St To Fv Ag Cm Rv PIR
4 HENEFELD, NADAV 15:00 2 1/4       2 2 2 2   1   5   1
5 BRISKER, MARK 2:00     0/1                       -1
6 SHARP, DERRICK 10:00 3   1/1   1   1 1 2       5   2
7 HUFFMAN, NATE 17:00 12 5/9 0/1 2/3 2 2 4   1   1     1 13
8 PARKER, ANTHONY 35:00 12 4/8 0/4 4/6   8 8 3 2       3 4 16
9 SHELEF, GUR 22:00 6 1/3 0/1 4/8 1 2 3 2 3     1 3 10 13
10 BURSTEIN, TAL 24:00 8 0/3 2/2 2/2 1 2 3   1 1 2   2 2 10
11 HALPERIN, YOTAM 3:00   0/1                   1 1   -3
12 SAFFAR, YOAV 14:00 6 2/4 0/2 2/2 2 1 3     1     1 2 5
13 VUJCIC, NIKOLA 9:00 2 1/1 0/2           1           1
14 McDONALD, ARRIEL 35:00 18 5/7 1/3 5/6 1 4 5 4 1 2     2 7 26
15 BESOK, HUSEYIN 14:00 13 4/8   5/5 4 5 9     1 3 1 1 3 21
Team                                
Totals 200:00 82 23/48 4/17 24/32 12 26 38 12 13 5 7 3 23 29 104
        47.9% 23.5% 75%
Head coach: BLATT, DAVID
Min: Minutes played; Pts: Points; 2FG M-A: 2-point Field Goals (Made-Attempted); 3FG M-A: 3-point Field Goals (Made-Attempted); FT M-A: Free Throws (Made-Attempted); Rebounds: O (Offensive), D (Defensive), T (Total); As: Assists; St: Steals; To: Turnovers; Bl: Blocks (Fv: In Favor / Ag: Against); Fouls: Cm (Commited), Rv (Received); PIR: Performance Index Rating
Alba Berlin
  Rebounds Blocks Fouls
# Player Min Pts 2FG 3FG FT O D T As St To Fv Ag Cm Rv PIR
4 RODL, HENRIK 20:00 7 1/2 1/1 2/2   2 2     1 1 1 4 3 6
5 LUTCKE, JORG 18:00 7 2/3 1/3     2 2 3 2 2     5 1 5
6 SCHULTZE, SVEN 10:00 2 1/1 0/1     1 1           1   1
7 PESIC, MARKO 28:00 6 1/3 1/4 1/2   1 1 5 1 3   1 4 2 1
8 PHELPS, DERRICK 27:00 3 0/5 0/3 3/6   4 4 5   3   1 3 6  
9 OZTURK, TEOMAN 15:00   0/2 0/1 0/2   2 2     2 1 1   1 -4
10 ZIDEK, JIRI 24:00 20 3/5 4/4 2/4 1 5 6           3 2 21
12 ALEXIS, WENDELL 33:00 17 3/6 2/4 5/5 2 2 4   1 1 1 1 4 7 19
13 THORWARTH, TOMMY 18:00 8 1/2 2/4   3 3 6 2   2   1 3 1 8
14 PAPIC, STIPO 3:00           1 1     1     2   -2
15 DEMIREL, MITHAT 4:00   0/1 0/1   1   1 1       1     -1
Team                                
Totals 200:00 70 12/30 11/26 13/21 7 23 30 16 4 15 3 7 29 23 54
        40% 42.3% 61.9%
Head coach: MUTAPCIC, EMIR
This game is not yet played

Head Coaches

BLATT, DAVID
Maccabi Elite
"I was nervous in my first game as head coach of Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv. I told the players it will not be easy against a well-coached team. We played well in defense and that carried us. I am disapointed that we did not capitalize on the many turnovers of the Berlin team. Besok gave an answer to all those who say he will not stay with Maccabi."
MUTAPCIC, EMIR
Alba Berlin
"For 40 minutes, we were one step behind Maccabi. We played well but that is not enough against a team like Maccabi. David has a very strong team and they will be favorites against any team in the Euroleague."

Players

BESOK, HUSEYIN
Maccabi Elite
"I played here many times but always on the opposing team. I know Yad Eliyahu and I was a bit nervous when they started singing my name. But I enjoyed it later on. We played well but this is only the first game."
ZIDEK, JIRI
Alba Berlin
"Maccabi played like champions. We had no chance. We are already thinking on the coming week with two league games and then Olympiakos on Wednesday."
No results found.