Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv survived a tough test in Round 27, edging Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul 78-74 at Menora Mivtachim Arena. Two of its bench players allowed Maccabi to overcome a bad start: Roman Sorkin and John DiBartolomeo.
Fenerbahce found an early go-to guy in Dyshawn Pierre, who had 10 points as the visitors grabbed an early 3-15 lead. Sorkin came off the bench and immediately delivered with a big basket off a spin move, allowing Maccabi to balance its offense and start trading baskets with its opponent. Still, Fenerbahce had a 17-25 advantage at the end of the first quarter. Maccabi opted to play Jake Cohen and Sorkin together on the court, giving playing time to backup point guard DiBartolomeo, too.
