The Israeli team is 2-0 since the American joined the team before the transfer deadline
Jimmy Clark proved his value to help Maccabi defeat ASVEL
Artículo
3 Min lectura
Regular Season
Round 28 of 34
Group Regular Season
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Despite having no chance of qualifying to the playoffs, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv has shown great pride since the February break.
First, it stunned Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul 94-76 in Round 27 on February 27, then on Friday night it recorded a hard-fought 95-103 win in France at LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne in Round 28.
“We are showing character, even though we don't have a chance [to reach the] playoffs or play-in,” Maccabi head coach Oded Kattash stressed after the game. “We've been through a lot this year. We built the team from zero, we had a lot of changes, a lot of difficulties, we are not playing in front of our home court, but the right character, the right attitude is not to find excuses, it's to come every day and to keep fighting."
Besides its smooth and effective offense, there is another common factor in the last two wins: Jimmy Clark. The American guard joined the Yellows right before the transfer deadline and has had an immediate impact for his new team. He went for 7 points, 6 rebounds and 10 assists against Fenerbahce before finishing with 15 points, 7 assists and 3 steals against ASVEL.
In his first season overseas, Clark adjusted to his new team pretty well and pretty quickly. Besides his stats, he has looked comfortable in his new role and in a new competition. Against ASVEL, he nailed a buzzer-beater three to close the first period and provided a couple of highlight plays with a pair of dunks after steals that showed his quickness and athleticism.
But talking about the game, Clark proved crucial for his team in the last period. He had to leave the court early when he committed his fourth foul, with Maccabi leading 72-78. He couldn’t rest a lot, though, as he was put on the floor less than two minutes later after ASVEL had just turned the tables, 81-80.
Clark delivered immediately, first assisting Levi Randolph for a jumper, then scoring a couple of tough and contested layups to allow Maccabi to recover the lead. He also set the foundations for others like Marial Shayok and Jasiel Rivero, who took over later to avoid further ASVEL comeback attempts.
Even though Clark did not score again in the last six minutes, Coach Katash had him on the court for most of that time, as he did with Shayok, who also had 4 fouls, recognizing his value to the team and to the win.