Under the big pressure coming from the home crowd, Olimpia plays a great first quarter but obviously it’s not enough. Maccabi is getting the nervousness off, riding the most experienced players especially David Blu. EA7 fights but it’s betrayed by its three-point shooting percentage, 2/12 in the first half, 2/17 after three quarters when Maccabi has taken off. During the time a rally was within sight, nothing went right. Maccabi won convincingly 75-63 and now leads the serie 2-1. Wednesday it’s time for another game in Yad Eliyhau with the back to the wall in a still emotional series.

THE FIRST HALF – Langford breaks the ice with a big drive, a three by Hackett and two steals (but only produces a basket by Samuels) and Olimpia is up 7-2 and then 10-4 in spite of Langford being called with two quick fouls. Blu brings Maccabi closer with an impossible three from the corner – 12-11 – but Hackett on a Samuels’ assist completes a three-point play. A dunk by Tyus with a Wallace foul allows Maccabi to tie up the score at 15. The first period finishes  with Olimpia up 16-15, after a Jerrells’ free throw and a steal by Cerella. The first Maccabi’s lead takes place early in the second when Tyus dunks a rebound. Olimpia gets back up but didn’t capitalize enough and after four minutes Schortsanitis brings Maccabi up with a three-point play uncompleted (21-19). Jerrells and Samuels tie it up at 23 but Hickman makes a baseline dunk and Blu makes a corner three for the 26-23 Maccabi’s lead, which becomes a plus five after another Blu’s jumper. Maccabi’s execution is good, Ohayon makes a three, Olimpia misses some open shots and goes down by eight (35-27, short hook by Schortsanitis). The closing minutes in the first half are very difficult and Maccabi takes advantage to go to the locker-room up by 10, 39-29.

THE SECOND HALF – Blu takes Maccabi over his shoulders early in the second half helped by Devin Smith’s inaugural three. In a very tough atmosphere there two consecutive hard fouls made by Ohayon over Langford and Maccabi explodes up by 16 after four minutes. Olimpia gets back within 11, including a thunderous rebounding dunk made by Lawal, but Blu is on fire, he completes a three-point play. Maccabi gets over the little slump and the third period finishes 61-45 because of a buzzer beating three made by Rice. The fourth period doesn’t change anything. Maccabi is in control of the tempo, offensively and defensively, Olimpia is a little down in spite Jerrells and Langford raising a little bit the shooting percentages. Coach Banchi tries to finish with two forwards and no center in order to open up the court and increase the defensive aggrassiveness. Hackett with a three brings Olimpia within 10 but Tyrese Rice makes a great drive against Melli and allows Maccabi to reject the last threat.