The first game back in Israel provided plenty of excitement as Lonnie Walker (29 points) and Roman Sorkin (26 points) led the way for the yellow-and-blue. After more than two years, the Euroleague returned to Tel Aviv as Maccabi hosted ASVEL Villeurbanne at Yad Eliyahu over the weekend, downing the French club 92-84.
The first game back in Israel provided plenty of excitement as Lonnie Walker (29 points) and Roman Sorkin (26 points) led the way for the yellow-and-blue.
After more than two years, the Euroleague returned to Tel Aviv as Maccabi hosted ASVEL Villeurbanne at Yad Eliyahu over the weekend, downing the French club 92-84.
The first game back in Israel provided plenty of excitement as Lonnie Walker (29 points) and Roman Sorkin (26 points) led the way for the yellow-and-blue, scoring early and often as Oded Katash’s squad improved its record to 5-10 in continental competition.
The atmosphere outside around the arena was full of excitement as fans flocked to Yad Eliyahu, smiles and huge grins all around as the Maccabi faithful were thrilled to have the Euroleague back in the saddle. The supporters gathered around each of the yellow-and-blue players as they arrived for a selfie, an autograph, or a word of encouragement.
When the opposition arrived via the Maccabi bus, the fans cheered and thanked them for coming to the Holy Land and being the first team to tip off back in Israel after more than two years of home games in Belgrade. The festival had begun despite the rain, as everyone was ready to get the show on the road.
Nando de Colo was hot early, hitting his shots from the inside and outside, while Melvin Anjica also scored for ASVEL. Walker also scored in bunches, Sorkin added points, and Jimmy Clark and Jaylen Hoard both put down big dunks, while Marcio Santos hit a looping jumper to give Maccabi a 21-19 lead after 10.
Maccabi plays its first Euroleague game in Israel after two years
Prior to the game inside the arena, fans milled around picking up their favorite delicacies, while others started to sing and cheered as drums played and the Maccabi playlist filled the corridors with overflowing joy. One fan after the next greeted each other as if they hadn’t seen each other in those two-plus years away from home.
A parade of supporters jumped and danced their way all around the halls of Yad Eliyahu as everyone seemed to join in on the celebration – a celebration of life in essence, a rebirth of sorts, and yet another step towards normalcy in a country that has been through hell and back.
Tamir Blatt and de Colo traded triples to begin the second quarter. Iffe Lundberg and John DiBartolomeo both drained from deep, while Walker put in a three-point play and a dunk to see Maccabi go up by 14 points. But Glynn Watson and Zachary Seljaas went from downtown, Thomas Heurtel drilled in a pair from beyond the arc, de Colo added a 3-point play and Bodian Massa dunked to knot the game up at 47-47 at halftime.
As the time ticked off the clock for the players to warm up, the fans took their seats with a massive amount of anticipation, as there were over 30 minutes until the jump ball. But when the music began to blare, and the Maccabi captain DiBartolomeo led the team out to mid-court, the fans burst out into a pandemonium that only one who was in the arena would understand. Each player was serenaded one-by-one as well, as the head coach, Katash, to the delight of the over 11,000 in attendance, as goosebumps could be seen and felt throughout the hall.
Walker and Watson scored for their respective teams to start off the third period. Sorkin and Mbaye Ndiaye scored while Massa put down a pair of dunks, Watson went from deep, Hoard put in a deuce, while Seljaas and Blatt traded triples to end the quarter as Maccabi took a 69-65 lead into the fourth quarter.
When the Euroleague anthem played for the first time since October 5, 2023, it was met with even more thrills and chills, and that went into overdrive when the PA Announcer, Shai Sidi, officially introduced all of the players with pomp and circumstance. However, the biggest cheer was saved for former hostage Omri Miran, who spoke to the fans who kept screaming out “Omri, Omri, Omri” to their heart's delight, which was followed up by Hatikvah, Israel’s national anthem, that everyone belted out at the top of their lungs in unison which didn’t leave a dry eye in the house.
Heurtel scored off the glass to get the final frame underway. Sorkin went from downtown. Ndiaye and Hoard traded baskets. Walker put in a deuce. Watson scored a pair of triples in response. Lundberg fed Sorkin for points in the paint. Watson again went from deep, Hoard and Heurtel scored, Walker added points, and Hoard put down the hammer to close out the win.
As the game headed into the final minutes, the crowd began to sense the victory was near, and the chants began to get louder and louder as it reached a crescendo and fever pitch, and the songs turned to the upcoming holiday of Hanukkah and the story of the Maccabees, a fitting way to end the first game back in Israel.
In other Euroleague action, Hapoel Tel Aviv got by Bologna 79-74 as Elijah Bryant and Dan Oturu spurred the Reds on to the comeback win. Hapoel outscored the hosts 29-17 in the final frame to take the victory to stay on top of the Euroleague standings with an 11-4 record, while also sending the Italians to their first home loss of the season.
Heading into the fourth quarter, Dimitrios Itoudis’s team was down 57-50, but big baskets by Bryant and Oturu, along with Antonio Blakeney, who hit a pair of triples, including one that put Hapoel in front for good, helped the Reds to the win.
Bryant scored 22 points while Oturu put in 21 points as Matt Morgan scored 21 points off the bench for Bologna.
“In the first half, we gave up 10 offensive rebounds, which led to 18 points,” Bryant said after the game. “We changed our mindset in the second half, trying to get a defensive effort. They have a bunch of off-screen shooters, and I’m pretty sure they lead the league in off-screen shooting. So we had to lock in, and we were able to get a win. At the end, we were able to get some momentum and find some stuff that was working for us and get some defensive stops and get the win.”
“It’s a collective effort from everybody, not just the bigs fighting for the boards, but everybody,” Oturu said. “When the shots go up, finding our man, hitting them, and then going to get the track and the ball and everybody helping, coming in along with the guards coming in to help the bigs get the ball, it’s a huge part. That was a really important thing that we needed to focus on coming into the second half. So honing in on that side and just grabbing the ball and making sure we get one shot and one stop is super important. I think that’s what helped us win today.”
Finally, Hapoel Holon needed a last-second Netanel Artzi three-pointer to just get by Maccabi Ramat Gan 67-66.
Shmulik Brenner’s team headed into the fourth quarter holding onto a 57-42 lead, but Danny Franco’s squad pulled off one of the great late comebacks that saw the Purples celebrate with the fans when Roi Rosenberg got the ball in the corner and passed it up top to Artzi, who swished the final shot of the game to take the win.
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Category: General Sports
