Maccabi Tel Aviv earned a significant victory over AS Monaco in Game 1 of their best-of-five Turkish Airlines EuroLeague playoff series, winning 67-79. This was a crucial win for the Israeli team as they secured their first playoff victory since 2014. They also took a 0-1 lead in the series and stole home-court advantage from Monaco. Both teams will meet again for Game 2 on Thursday.
Wade Baldwin stood out for Maccabi, finishing with 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists. Lorenzo Brown also played well, contributing 15 points to the victory. Josh Nebo and Bonzie Colson scored 12 and 11 points respectively, making valuable contributions.
For Monaco, Mike James and Alpha Diallo led the scoring with 15 points each. Elie Okobo and Donatas Motiejunas also performed well, scoring 12 points each. However, their performance was not enough to overcome Maccabi’s dominance.
The game was intense and physical, with both teams striving for victory. The score by quarters was 16-18, 33-36, 50-60, 67-79. Maccabi did not have an early lead, but managed to hold on to the lead they built in the third quarter despite Monaco’s efforts to close the gap.
The win puts Maccabi in a strong position for Game 2, but Monaco will be determined to level the series. With both teams possessing plenty of talent, the remainder of the series promises to be an exciting and closely contested affair.
