FC Barcelona destroyed Maccabi Tel Aviv to stay on the top spot
Last night (11.22), Barcelona played against Maccabi Tel Aviv, one of the teams that surpassed expectations until this stage of Euroleague. However, the Spaniards were too good for the Israeli team as they won by a margin of 23 points: 96-73.
The beginning of the game was very balanced. Both sides scored pretty well and after the first quarter, Barcelona had a three-point lead (21-18). In the next period, Ioannis Sfairopoulos’ players started to defend better and showed a great display on offense, regaining the lead: 46-43.
In the second half, one of the biggest factors was the huge depth that Barcelona has. Nikola Mirotic and Cory Higgins attacked relentlessly and the visiting side didn’t find any solutions to their offense. Therefore, the hosts started the last quarter with an advantage of 8 points: 74-66.
In the last ten minutes, in front of a packed Palau Blaugrana, Barcelona played an amazing style of basketball as they allowed only 7 points from the opponents. Meanwhile, Mirotic & Co. scored 22 points that assured the win. Final score: 96-73.
Barcelona had four players in double-digits: Nikola Mirotic (25 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, one steal), Cory Higgins (15 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, one block), Alex Abrines (12 points, 2 rebounds, one steal, one block), and Kyle Kuric (12 points, 2 steals, one assist).
The best players from the opposing side were: Tyler Dorsey (15 points, 2 rebounds, one assist), John DiBartolomeo (13 points, one steal), and Scottie Wilbekin (11 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds, one steal).
With this result, Barcelona assured the top spot in the standings, having 8 wins and 2 losses. Meanwhile, Maccabi Tel Aviv lost its fourth game and stands on 5th place.
*photo: euroleague.net
