Barça no longer count their games for victories after melting in the hell of Tel Aviv. Maccabi crushed him in the first two quarters and Barça’s reaction after the break was not enough to turn him around (85-68). The Israeli team has taken the measure of Sarunas Jasikevicius. Last season he already won both games and continues his streak in the first of this Euroleague in the Hand of Elías, which did not stop vibrating and which once again demonstrated its peculiar liturgy, which, for example, the president, Shimon Mizrahi, to walk down the court to protest an action to the referees.
Maccabi’s victory was built on the fast track. In just 20 minutes of play, the locals, unleashed, scored 56 points to the intractable Barcelona. Two less than Zenit a week ago in the whole game. The Israelis were a Formula 1 in the Hand of Elías, and Barcelona a 600 that could not hold the local rhythm, who lived a party from beginning to end. Maccabi finished him off with aggression and success (they shot 14 times more than the Catalans).
Jasikevicius opted for the same quintet as in Turkey against Fenerbahce. But soon the cracks began to be seen in a Barcelona unable to stop Reynolds, Taylor, Willians or Nunnally. With 11-10 it seemed that the game would go through a certain equality, but a partial of 10-4 began to unbalance the balance. Calathes, permissive in defense, was replaced by Jokubaitis. The Lithuanian, more an escort than a game driver, did not help the attacks to be fluid, the Barça team imprisoned by local aggressiveness, which sometimes made two against one of those who could not leave the Barça forwards. That lack of shooting options together with the little defensive aggressiveness, was summarized in a 31-18 with which the end of the first quarter was reached.
Maccabi scored 15 of his 21 shots, especially in the paint, where he also imposed his strength on the rebound. Only Higgins and Mirotic, with two triples, kept a Barça afloat that received hits of all colors. The Maccabi was recreated with ‘alley-oops’, with triples with hardly any opposition, cheered by a devoted audience. The second set started the same (40-21) and did not change. The revolutions did not drop, but they maintained the level and the Barça began to move away despite being placed 49-32 with possession. Losing 15 points before the break was already a light of hope. But Zizic, a giant in painting, and Nunnally were in charge of putting the clasp (56-36).
Reaction but return to reality and first defeat
Far from giving up, Barça started the third quarter with an 8-0 that gave it air. The advantage already oscillated 10 points and not 20: he had started. Mirotic scored two triples in a row and Higgins’ tackles hurt the Israelis, who now ran into a more aggressive and concentrated Barça defense, undoubtedly what had allowed the disadvantage of Jasikevicius. With 65-54 the last quarter was reached. He had started, but Barça required to give the best of himself.
It did not succeed because it was not correct. There were players, such as Davies, Calathes or Laprovittola, who did not have the success in unopposed shots that prevented the score from growing. The Maccabi returned to the origins and expanded the difference of the hand of Ryenolds and Nunnally. The Hand of Elías was a party and Barcelona left with a bitter face. He had survived with a basket on Mirotic’s horn in Turkey. But surviving two hells in just 48 hours was too great a challenge.