Maccabi takes Israeli title in a 94-90 do-or-die thriller!

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv is back on top of the Israeli League after surviving an epic rally by local rival Hapoel Tel Aviv to win 94-90 in the deciding third game of their final series before a sellout home crowd on Tuesday. Maccabi lost all of a 15-point fourth-quarter lead as Hapoel went on a five-minute, 0-17 run to lead 83-85. From there, however, Lorenzo Brown and Wade Baldwin shared all of Maccabi's 11 points in the final 2 minutes to nail down a victory worth the club's 56th national title. Maccabi's backcourt duo scored 22 points each while Roman Sorkin added 13 and Alex Poythress 12. J'Covan Brown poured in 31 points for Hapoel.

The visitors followed J'Covan Brown to early leads of 0-7 and 12-17. Lorenzo Brown's 6 consecutive points provided Maccabi's first advantage, 18-17, and his triple kept the hosts ahead 26-23 after 10 minutes. Maccabi led 31-25 before J'Covan Brown single-handedly tied the score and Idan Zalmanson hit a go-ahead basket for Hapoel at 37-38. Lorenzo Brown and Rafi Menco scored the next 5 points, however, as Maccabi recouped a 42-38 halftime edge.

Maccabi expanded its lead to 57-48 on a basket by Sorkin midway through the third quarter. A jumper by Baldwin made for the game's first double-digit lead and his free throw held it at 75-64 after 30 minutes. Bonzie Colson lifted the difference to 83-68 early in the fourth quarter, but Hapoel reeled off the next 17 points, including 5 in a row from Tomer Ginat before J'Covan Brown hit the go-ahead three-pointer at 83-85 with under 3 minutes left. Maccabi put the ball in the hands of Brown and Baldwin the rest of the way, and they delivered.