Maccabi Tel Aviv crushed by Real Madrid despite 15-point lead

Maccabi Tel Aviv lost 113–99 to Real Madrid on Thursday night in its home game in Belgrade, dropping to a 2–5 record after seven games in the EuroLeague. The Yellows hoped to build positive momentum following their surprising victory in Valencia, but squandered a double-digit lead and ultimately succumbed in a European classic - against an opponent that started the season with three losses, but has since racked up four consecutive wins.

The opening 15 minutes were stellar for Maccabi Tel Aviv. Oded Kattash's squad scorched Real’s defense, found open looks on almost every possession, generated points from every range, and zoomed ahead to a 44–29 advantage. The problem was that at that exact moment, they vanished. Real, which had been searching for answers for a quarter and a half, suddenly found its groove and erased the deficit within minutes to get right back into the contest.

By the third quarter, the Spaniards were already surging to a double-digit lead against a disorganized and near-helpless Maccabi squad. The Yellows managed to close the gap a few times in the final frame, but never truly threatened Real, which hit 21 three-pointers out of 39 attempts and comfortably expanded its lead until the final buzzer.

Scored for Maccabi Tel Aviv: Jimmy Clark 20, Bonzie Colson 19, Yam Madar 14, Oshae Brissett 10, Jaylen Hoard 10, Daniel Theis 9, John DiBartolomeo 5, Roman Sorkin 5, Keaton Wallace 3, Armando Bacot 2, T.J. Leaf 2.

Scored for Real Madrid: Facundo Campazzo 21, Andres Feliz 18, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot 15, Alberto Abalde 15, Walter Tavares 11, Theo Maledon 11, Chimezie Metu (Chuma Okeke) 6, Mikael Jantunen 6, Nick Smith Jr. 5, Damian Jones 3, Jaime Pradilla 2.

The Yellows started the game with points from Wallace and Madar, but Real controlled the boards on both ends of the floor to stay within striking distance. Maccabi took a 10–7 lead with 5:45 remaining in the quarter. Both teams looked messy early on, and by the time they headed to a TV timeout, the Yellows held a narrow 12–10 edge. Hoard followed up with an and-one play, and as Real struggled to find answers on offense, Maccabi raced out to a 19–12 advantage. The Spaniards called a timeout, but their play hardly improved afterward; the Yellows scored on almost every possession, and a three-pointer by DiBartolomeo pushed the score to 24–15. Clark scored at the buzzer, closing out the quarter at 30–23 for Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Maccabi's offense continued to dictate play in the second quarter. Theis knocked down shots, Colson got hot, and Maccabi quickly stretched its advantage into a double-digit lead at 44–29. Martinez called another timeout to halt the momentum, and this time the adjustment paid off. Campazzo and Luwawu-Cabarrot sparked a 13–4 run for Real, trimming the deficit to 48–42. A three-pointer by Feliz just before the break made it a razor-thin 52–51 lead for the Yellows at halftime.

Tavares converted under the basket to give Real a 53–52 lead after spending long minutes in pursuit. Over the next stretch, the lead traded hands repeatedly: Theis and Madar scored on one end, while Luwawu-Cabarrot hit crucial shots on the other to make it 60–59 for the Spaniards three and a half minutes into the quarter. Both teams searched for back-to-back stops and buckets to pull away, and Real eventually managed to build a 70–64 cushion. Maccabi committed costly turnovers and missed open looks, allowing the Spaniards to go up by 10 and eventually by 13. The quarter ended 81–73 in favor of Real Madrid.

Colson narrowed the gap to 81–75, but Feliz took charge and scored 7 straight points to extend Real’s lead back to 11. Maccabi refused to give up easily; Colson hit from deep, and Clark executed an and-one play to cut the deficit to 91–85 with 6:22 remaining. Real responded with 5 straight points, quickly putting Maccabi out of reach once again. Abalde knocked down two three-pointers to push the Blancos to a 102–88 lead, effectively sealing the victory. At the final buzzer: 113–99 to Real Madrid.