Walker sets career highs while Sorkin ties Halperin’s Israeli EuroLeague scoring mark in Maccabi’s ninth straight win over ASVEL
Lonnie Walker and Roman Sorkin lead Maccabi past ASVEL
Informes de partidos
3 Min lectura
Regular Season
Round 15 of 38
Regular Season
Maccabi Rapyd Tel AvivMTA
9284
LDLC ASVEL VilleurbanneASV
Overview
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Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv’s 92–84 victory over LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne on Thursday night at Menorah Mivtachim Arena was a game full of numbers — and even more emotion.
It marked Maccabi’s ninth consecutive win over the French club. Star guard Lonnie Walker set career highs with 29 points, 9 rebounds, and a performance index rating of 33. Big man Roman Sorkin joined the celebration with a career-best 26 points, matching Yotam Halperin for the most points ever scored by an Israeli in the EuroLeague.
But by night’s end, few wanted to talk about statistics. For Maccabi, the story was the atmosphere — an emotionally charged home crowd that lifted the team when it mattered most. For ASVEL, the feeling was bittersweet pride after another brave but narrow defeat.
“I feel like tonight it’s tough to summarize this game as far as basketball,” said Maccabi head coach Oded Kattash. “Tonight was not about basketball — it was really special for us. We were so emotional. I’m really happy to have been here and to experience that crazy, great atmosphere playing in front of our fans. That’s why it’s especially important that we got the win. It wasn’t our best basketball, but we found a way.”
It may not have been Maccabi’s most polished performance, but it was an important step forward. The victory was the team’s second in a row, lifting its record to 5–10 and renewing hope for a playoff push.
“Today’s a great win for us and we’re going to continue to get better,” Walker said. “The way we’ve been playing these last four or five games has been really good.”
ASVEL opened strong behind Nando De Colo, who sparked his team to a 14–7 start. Maccabi responded with a Walker-led 12–0 run, but the momentum shifted repeatedly. The game was tied at halftime and saw eight lead changes in the third quarter before Maccabi finally created separation. Even after blowing a 14-point second-quarter cushion, Walker remained unfazed.
“It’s all about runs,” he explained. “You’re gonna have a run, they’re gonna have a run. (Glynn) Watson had no more than 3 points in the first half — he finished with 21. The game’s all about give and take. They started making shots, but we stayed persistent. We had some mental fortitude and held on for the win.”
De Colo finished with 16 points and 7 assists in 27 minutes, logging a team-best plus/minus of +14. In his absence, ASVEL was outscored by 22. Watson’s 21 points, including 4 of 8 from three-point range, were central to ASVEL’s comeback push.
Head coach Pierric Poupet found positives despite the disappointment.
“It was not easy for us to undergo this atmosphere,” Poupet said. “I’m proud of the guys and the way they fought in front of this great crowd. Unfortunately, we missed a little bit of everything — a little bit of intensity at the end. We got into foul trouble in the big positions, so we had to adapt. Again, we were a little short at the end, but I want to congratulate both teams, because I’m proud of my players.”
