Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv continued its surge up the EuroLeague standings on Thursday night with an 85–82 victory over Valencia Basket at Pais Arena Jerusalem. The result marked Maccabi’s fourth consecutive win and kept the club within striking distance of the playoff positions.
Playing its second home game of the season in Israel, Maccabi improved to 7–10 by surviving a frantic late comeback from one of the league’s most consistent teams. Valencia entered the night on a five-game winning streak and left Jerusalem at 11–6 after failing to complete a dramatic rally.
Lonnie Walker led the hosts with 14 points, while five Maccabi players scored in double figures. Iffe Lundberg posted 12 points and seven assists, Jimmy Clark III and TJ Leaf added 11 apiece, and Marcio Santos finished with 10 points.
Maccabi trailed by eight points in the opening quarter before taking control with a 28-point second period. The Israeli side went into halftime with a 47–41 advantage and continued to apply pressure in the third quarter.
The lead reached double digits late in the third and peaked at 12 points when Walker’s free throws made it 85–73 with 4:43 remaining. From there, Maccabi failed to score again but managed to hold on.
Valencia, the EuroLeague’s top scoring offense entering the round, surged back behind Matt Costello and Kameron Taylor. Costello capped a personal 9–0 run with a layup to cut the margin to 85–82 with 27 seconds left.
Maccabi turned the ball over moments later, giving Valencia multiple chances to force overtime. The visitors missed three three-point attempts in the closing seconds, allowing the home crowd to celebrate a rare tense finish.
Valencia shot just 25.6 percent from beyond the arc, well below its season average of 38.0 percent. Perimeter defense has been a season-long strength for Maccabi, which entered the game holding opponents to 33.5 percent from deep, fourth-best in the league.
Taylor scored 15 points and Brancou Badio added 14, but the duo combined to shoot 5-for-15 from three-point range. Valencia also failed to capitalize on 18 offensive rebounds.
The winning streak has coincided with Lundberg’s arrival from Partizan prior to Round 13. The veteran guard has averaged 11.0 points and 4.5 assists during the four-game run.
Maccabi will next travel to Belgrade to face Partizan Mozzart Bet, while Valencia returns home to host Baskonia.
