Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv struggled offensively and trailed for the majority of the first three quarters, but dominated the boards and eventually found a way to come back and beat Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul 78-73 at Aleksandar Nikolic Hall in Belgrade, Serbia on Thursday night. With the win, Maccabi improved to 5-3 on the season, while Fenerbahce dropped to 5-4, registering its third consecutive loss in the Serbian capital.
Fenerbahce held multiple double-digit leads in the first 2 quarters, but Maccabi stepped up defensively in the fourth quarter and continued to aggressively attack offensive boards, finishing with 22 offensive rebounds for the night. A 12-3 fourth-quarter spurt, capped by a three-point play by James Webb, put Maccabi up 70-64. Fenerbahce found a way to tie the game with 42 seconds to go, but Maccabi scored on the ensuing possession then made all its free throws in the final seconds to secure a victory.
Lorenzo Brown scored 18 points, while Bonzie Colson amassed 13 points and a career-high tying 14 rebounds, including 7 on the offensive end. Wade Baldwin finished with 12 points, and James Webb had 10 points and 7 rebounds in the win. Tarik Biberovic scored a career-high 18 points for Fenerbahce, Scottie Wilbekin netted 18 on 5-for-11 three-point shooting and dished 7 assists, while Nigel Hayes-Davis had 16 in a losing effort.
Source: Euro League Basketball