Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv outscored Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul down the stretch 12-1 to capture an 85-76 victory in the teams’ makeup game from Round 23.
Maccabi races past Fenerbahce, 85-76, to finish fifth
The game was the final fixture of the regular season and put Maccabi in fifth place with a 17-11 record. It will face Real Madrid in the playoffs. Fenerbahce finished its season in 12th place with a 10-18 mark. James Nunnally led the way for the Israeli champs with 19 points and 7 rebounds. Ante Zizic posted 16 points and 7 boards, Scottie Wilbekin contributed 14 points, 6 assists and tied his career-high with 5 steals and Derrick Williams added 10 points. Devin Booker led all Fenerbahce scorers with 14 points, Ahmet Duverioglu scored 12 and Ismet Akpinar 10.
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The hosts struck first as Wilbekin fed Zizic for an alley-oop small in transition. Sehmus Hazer’s three from the corner got the visitors going and baskets inside by Booker and Duverioglu helped the visitors surge to 3-9. Khyri Thomas and Williams buried threes as Maccabi surged ahead with an 8-0 run to lead 14-11. Fenerbahce’s starting bigs each scored to push the visitors back in front before Jalen Reynolds came of the bench and scored 5 points with jumpers and the teams finished the first quarter tied 21-21.
Nunnally and Marko Guduric traded threes early in the second quarter. The teams continued to swap points and the score was tied at 24, 26, and 28 before John DiBartolomeo’s three gave Maccabi a 31-30 edge. Back-to-back threes by Nunnally helped the hosts go ahead 37-32. Duverioglu and Booker trimmed the gap only to see Nunnally score again, this time thanks to Angelo Caloiaro’s steal. DyShawn Pierre and Duverioglu kept Fenerbahce close, 42-40, and the sides parted ways at halftime with Maccabi leading 45-43.
Duverioglu’s dunk tied the score at the start of the second half. Zizic responded with a tip-in and-one and Nunnaly’s fifth three of the night made it 52-45. Reynolds fouled out after he and Floyd received double technical fouls. Floyd took advantage with a basket on the offensive glass to bring his team within 2. Hazer’s three-point play made it 54-53, but Maccabi got threes from Wilbekin and Williams to pull away again. Free throws by Booker and Metecan Birsen kept Fenerbahce in the picture and Achille Polonara’s hook shot drew the visitors within 62-59. DiBartolomeo’s jumper and free throws helped Maccabi keep a 66-62 lead through three quarters.
Jake Cohen nailed a three for Maccabi, but Akpinar scored twice from downtown as Fenerbahce went on a 0-9 run to take a 69-71 lead on a basket by Polonara. Maccabi tied it through free throws by Nunnally and went ahead on free throws by Williams only to see Booker and Polonara send Fenerbahce back in from, 73-75, midway through the fourth quarter. Keenan Evans answered with a three and Zizic a tip-in, prompting a Fenerbahce timeout at 78-75. Zizic scored again inside and Nunnally’s steal led to a Wilbekin layup that brought the crowd to its feet. Evans capped a 12-0 run from the line, where he gave Maccabi’s the game’s first double-digit lead, 85-75, and Fenerbahce never threatened again.