Assists and rebounds epitomized Maccabi’s team spirit

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv cruised to an 85-66 home rout of EA Emporio Armani Milan on the back of a cohesive team effort that saw the hosts flourish in assists and rebounds, the same departments which saw them vanquish Virtus Segafredo Bologna 111-80 earlier this week.
Having produced a Turkish Airlines EuroLeague record of 38 assists against reigning champion Anadolu Efes Istanbul, Maccabi completed a perfect Italian job as it dished out 21 assists against Milan and contained the visitors to just 13, with the rivals committing 7 turnovers each.
Maccabi also racked up 10 boards more than Milan (37-27) and shot 25 of 36 from two-point territory, while the visiting team made 12 of 23.
Crucially, Maccabi was more resourceful as Roman Sorkin (18 points) turned out to be the trump card, with Lorenzo Brown (17 points, 8 assists) and Wade Baldwin (15 points, 6 assists) doing their part to great effect.
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What hurt Milan the most is that four other Maccabi players netted 8 points each, while Shabazz Napier (15 points) and Shavon Shields (14 points, 5 rebounds) cut lonesome figures in Milan’s effort to keep alive its postseason hopes.
The other key players misfired as Nicolo Melli, Billy Baron and Brandon Davies scored 10 points between them, with Milan head coach Ettore Messina offering a realistic assessment of the night’s action.
"In the first half, we didn't have the level of competitiveness that was required," Messina said at the post-game press conference. “Second half, we found our old chemistry and good defense. Two moments decided the game – first when we missed a pair of completely open threes when we were down by 6 and had momentum. The second was when were down by 10 and missed 4 free throws. Maccabi has remarkable athleticism and that can make a lot of difference in the EuroLeague. On top of a good system, they have guards who can create at any moment."