Bonzie Colson was everywhere as Maccabi downed Real Madrid

One of the best rookies in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague this season, without any doubt, has been Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv forward Bonzie Colson, and the 27-year-old played a key role as his side beat Real Madrid 100-96 in overtime to secure the fifth seed in the playoffs.
The do-it-all nature of Colson's game regularly stands out during Maccabi's games, particularly at Menora Mivtachim Arena, which was again the case on Thursday night as he finished with 14 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals and 2 blocks. At all points in the contest – when Real was coming back; when Maccabi was ahead; and when Maccabi found itself behind – Colson continued to stand out.
Colson helped set the tone for Maccabi early on, recording 1 block and 1 steal inside the opening 2 minutes, which helped the hosts open a 7-3 lead. He added a triple as Maccabi looked to stop Real from going on a big run of its own, 10-11, midway through the first quarter, too.
The American recorded his second block of the night with 3:21 remaining in the second quarter, before scoring Maccabi's last 6 points of the half, as he nailed a two-pointer and then went a perfect 4-for-4 from the line to cut the deficit to 5 points, 37-42. Before Colson's two-point make, Real had opened what was at the time a game-high 31-40 lead.
His energetic performance did not stop there, though. He made steal No. 2 in the third, as well as adding a further 5 points to his tally. Yet, curiously, he went from having 0 rebounds in the first half to 9 – 4 offensive and 5 defensive – in the second half and overtime. He got his third steal in the overtime period, too.
There are some things that don't show up on the stats sheet, such as hustle and desire, but Colson has that in abundance. Maccabi's do-it-all forward has enjoyed a wonderful debut season in the EuroLeague, and he will now get a taste of playoff basketball for the first time. He seems to be getting better and better with each passing performance, which should be worrying news for Maccabi's opponents in the playoffs, AS Monaco.