First Maccabi win in Top 16 of Euroleague

Maccabi won over Real (Photo: AFP)

04-02-2010 23:57

Maccabi Electra registered its first win in the 2009-10 Euroleague Top 16 and turned Group F into the most balanced one this far by downing Real Madrid 81-76 in front of 11,500 fans in a sellout Nokia Arena in Tel Aviv, Israel on Thursday night. All four teams in Group F - Maccabi, Madrid, Efes Pilsen and Montepaschi Siena - are tied at 1-1, so anything can happen in Group F.

Alan Anderson led the winners with 20 points on 9-of-9 free throws, 8 rebounds and 5 assists. Chuck Eidson added 18 points while D'or Fischer had 14 for Maccabi. Rimantas Kaukenas led Madrid with 17 points.

Darjus Lavrinovic added 13 while Jorge Garbajosa had 12 for the guests.

Maccabi overcame a slow start, as a put-back basket by Fischer and a fast break dunk by David Bluthenthal tied the game, 18-18, after 10 minutes. Maccabi did not trail since that moment and found a go-to guy in Stephane Lasme, that led his team in defense and got some help from Eidson to give his team a 41-34 halftime edge.

Anderson led a 10-0 run that boosted the hosts' lead to 59-47 late in the third quarter. Kaukenas and a three-pointer by Marko Jaric brought Madrid within 78-74 with a minute to go but Doron Perkins answered from downtown to make Maccabi seal a well-deserved win.