Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv pulled off a statement victory on Thursday night, defeating Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens 75-71 at Menora Mivtachim Arena to boost its EuroLeague postseason ambitions.
Known throughout the season for explosive scoring, the Israeli side entered the game averaging 94.8 points in its nine previous wins, but this time relied almost entirely on defense, effort, and execution.
Maccabi produced its lowest winning score of the campaign, finishing with just 75 points while recording only 10 assists, less than half its season average of 20.3.
The hosts struggled from long range, converting 9 of 33 three-point attempts and shooting just 27.3 percent from beyond the arc, yet remained composed through a tightly contested, physical game.
Panathinaikos briefly seized momentum with a 0-7 burst to open the contest, but Maccabi quickly settled defensively and never allowed the visitors to establish rhythm again.
From that point forward, neither team managed a lead greater than five points over the final 26 minutes.
The home side opened the fourth quarter with a decisive 6-0 run and led throughout the final period, though the margin never allowed any sense of comfort.
Panathinaikos cut the deficit to 73-71 inside the final two minutes, but missed three consecutive perimeter looks from TJ Shorts, Kostas Sloukas, and Jerian Grant that could have flipped the game.
Iffe Lundberg sealed the outcome at the foul line, finishing with 16 points while shooting a perfect 5-for-5 from the stripe.
Roman Sorkin anchored Maccabi’s interior presence with 13 points and eight rebounds, providing crucial physicality in a game defined by contact and half-court execution.
Tamir Blatt delivered the night’s most efficient shooting display, scoring all 15 of his points from three-point range while hitting a personal-best five triples on six attempts.
The result lifts Maccabi to 10-14 and a perfect 3-0 since returning to its home floor, while Panathinaikos drops to 14-10 and missed an opportunity to strengthen its top-eight position.
Maccabi next travels to face Valencia Basket, while Panathinaikos heads to France for a road meeting with LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne.
