Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv returned to form on Thursday, defeating Anadolu Efes Istanbul 103-89 at Aleksandar Nikolic Hall in Belgrade.
The victory extends Maccabi’s winning streak to four games, moving the Israeli side to 18-16 and within one win of the EuroLeague top 10.
Lonnie Walker IV led the charge, finishing with 25 points, hitting 5 of 7 three-pointers, 3-of-6 inside the arc, and making all four free throws.
Walker’s scoring burst came mostly in the third quarter, where he sank three triples in four minutes to ignite a decisive 13-1 run.
Maccabi’s shooting overall was outstanding, converting 15 of 23 triples for a 65.2% rate. Tamir Blatt was perfect from distance (4-of-4), Jimmy Clark III added 17 points on 3-of-5 threes, and Marcio Santos made both of his attempts.
The team overcame a slow start as Anadolu Efes stayed within reach early, led by Jordon Loyd with 17 points and Brice Dessert adding 16.
Maccabi’s depth shone through as well, with Roman Sorkin scoring 13 points and Justin Dowtin adding 12, helping to maintain a consistent offensive flow.
Maccabi out-rebounded Efes 33-28 and recorded 20 assists while maintaining a perfect 24-of-24 free throw performance.
Anadolu Efes struggled with consistency beyond the arc, hitting only 36% from three, and were unable to contain Maccabi’s shooting spree in the second half.
Maccabi will visit Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz on April 7 before traveling to face Paris Basketball on April 9. Anadolu Efes returns home to host Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade on April 8 and visits Dubai Basketball on April 10.
