You may think that facing the reigning champions in a playoff situation is a daunting task but it looks as though Fenerbahce had no fear about the challenge that was facing them. Maccabi haven’t been at their best this season but with the spirit of champions and a great deal of experience behind them, they represent a massive challenge. Not only did Fenerbahce overcome this challenge, they managed to grab their first ever win at this point of the campaign.
They may have bene behind for close to half an hour of this contest but when Fenerbahce finally got their noses in front, they stayed there. This gave the Turkish side their first ever win in the Euroleague playoffs and with another home game to come on Thursday, they know that maintaining this momentum could go a long way to helping them get past the reigning champions. Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv will not be panicking just yet, they know that there is a long way to go and losing the first game in a five game series isn’t a disaster. However, with another game in Istanbul to come, the Israeli side will have to up their game and do their best to come away with a score line that will level the series going into the third game.
A big swing decided the game
The deciding factor in the game came in 11 minutes across the third and fourth quarter when a 20 point swing took place. With just four minutes left in the third quarter, Alex Tyus managed to out Maccabi ahead 46-56 and things we relooking very good for the away team. However, Luka Zoric stepped up to deliver 6 points in an 11-0 run for the home team before Andrew Goudelock placed the home team into the lead for the very first time in the game, 59-58. This came at the end of the third quarter and the home team continued in the same vein, pulling away from their opponents. With five minutes to go, Jeremy Pargo had the champions back within 5 points but Jan Vesely grabbed 8 points in the last 4 minutes of the game to seal the deal for the Turkish side.
Some players had very big nights
Vesely achieved a career high of 23 points in this game while Nemanja Bjelica provided 13 points and 12 rebounds, giving him a double-double in the playoffs. Luka Zoris also got into double figures, providing 10 points for the winning team. Pargo grabbed 25 points in total for Maccabi, which was one short of the playoff record for the Israeli side while Alex Tyus grabbed a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Yogev Ohayon offered up 12 points and Devin Smith provided 10 points for the losing team.
For the Money Line in the second game, Bwin are currently offering odds of 1.35 for Fenerbahce and odds of 3.10 for Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv.
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