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Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv defeated defending EuroLeague champions Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul 94-89 on Tuesday in a Round 33 clash at Belgrade's Aleksandar Nikolic Hall, building a commanding first-half lead and then holding off a furious second-half rally powered by veteran guard Nando De Colo's 26 points.
The Israeli club, which continues to play its designated home games on neutral ground in Serbia due to the ongoing security situation in the region, stormed to a 57-43 halftime advantage behind the relentless inside work of center Roman Sorkin, who finished with 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting from two-point range. Maccabi's victory keeps the club firmly in contention for a play-in berth as the regular season enters its final stretch, while dealing a rare road setback to the league leaders from Istanbul.
Fenerbahce's scoring was led by De Colo with 26 points, followed by Metecan Birsen with 14, and Talen Horton-Tucker and Chris Silva each contributing 10. The 38-year-old Frenchman was largely responsible for dragging Fenerbahce back into the contest after halftime, converting on 5-of-7 from the field, 3-of-6 from beyond the arc, and a perfect 7-of-7 from the free-throw line.
Fenerbahce, coached by Sarunas Jasikevičius, started the game with Metecan Birsen, Bonzie Colson, Devon Hall, Talen Horton-Tucker, and Khem Birch in the opening five. But Maccabi controlled the opening quarter 25-20 and then blew the game open with a dominant 32-23 second period, going to the locker room up by 14.
The third quarter belonged to Fenerbahce. De Colo poured in a combination of mid-range baskets and three-pointers, while back-to-back triples from Birsen, who shot a perfect 4-of-4 from deep on the night, helped the Turkish side outscore Maccabi 23-15 in the period and cut the deficit to 72-66 heading into the fourth.
The final quarter was a frenetic affair. Wade Baldwin IV, who finished with 9 points and a game-high 7 assists, and Birsen combined to trim the gap to just three at 74-71 early in the period. But every time Fenerbahce appeared poised to complete the comeback, Maccabi found answers.
O'Shae Brissett delivered key baskets and finished with 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks, while guard Jimmy Clark III contributed 16 points and 8 assists in a sterling floor-general performance. Point guard Tamir Blatt added 10 points and a game-high 8 assists, orchestrating an offense that moved with purpose throughout the first three quarters and held steady when Fenerbahce applied fourth-quarter pressure.
Lonnie Walker IV chipped in with 8 points, including critical free throws down the stretch where he went 6-of-7 from the line. Brissett sealed the result with a two-pointer off a Sorkin assist in the final seconds to push the score to 94-89.
Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv has been playing its home games at Aleksandar Nikolic Hall in Belgrade due to security concerns related to the ongoing conflict in the region. Despite the displacement, the Israeli club has thrived in its adopted home. Entering the match, Maccabi had won 12 consecutive games as the designated home side and had taken four straight head-to-head home meetings against Fenerbahce.
In the EuroLeague standings, Maccabi currently sat 13th heading into the match but remained in contention for a play-in spot, especially considering they had games in hand compared to several direct rivals. The club had lost only once in its last 11 games across all competitions heading into Tuesday's fixture.
For Fenerbahce, the defending EuroLeague champions, the defeat adds to a stretch of inconsistent form. In their last five games across all competitions heading into Tuesday, Fenerbahce had suffered three defeats, including losses to Crvena Zvezda and Olympiacos in the EuroLeague. Despite the recent wobbles, Fenerbahce remained atop the EuroLeague standings with a 22-7 record before the match, well clear of second-placed Olympiacos at 20-10.
Fenerbahce's foul trouble proved costly. Khem Birch picked up five fouls in limited minutes, while Chris Silva collected four. The Istanbul side committed numerous turnovers, including an offensive foul on Horton-Tucker and a late technical foul on Birsen that gave Blatt a free throw in the closing seconds.
Fenerbahce Beko will next host Zalgiris Kaunas on Friday, March 27, at 20:45 local time in Round 34. Maccabi, meanwhile, will look to build on the momentum when they face Dubai Basketball on Thursday in Belgrade.
The EuroLeague, now in its expanded 20-team format, sees its regular season run through April 17, with the top six teams advancing directly to the playoffs and teams ranked seventh through tenth entering the play-in tournament ahead of the Final Four in Athens.
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