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Maccabi Tel Aviv on the verge of relegation: "There is no consolation in the comeback we made"

The Yellows are very close to finishing their way in the factory and will have to win all the games by the end of the season.

One of the club members has already begun to conclude: "Losing a chance so early is disappointing."

Dorsey promises to fight, Wilbkin continues to fade, and also: Omri Caspi's minute limit by the insurance company

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• Maccabi Tel Aviv in basketball

• Tyler Dorsey

• Yannis Sapropoulos

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Wednesday, 03 March 2021, 07:22

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The face says it all (Photo: Danny Maron)

1. Maccabi Tel Aviv is on the verge of being officially relegated from the Euroleague, after last night (Tuesday) it recorded its 15th Euroleague loss in 25 games, the sixth in 12 home games in Yad Eliyahu and the fourth in a row in the Euroleague - 84:80 to CSKA Moscow. Yellows will have to win all their games until the end of the season. possibly eight wins would be enough, but this is a high chance, that a loss tomorrow (Thursday, 21:05, Sport 5) against Valencia officially finish the season.

photos of Maccabi Tel Aviv disappointed at the end Became a kind of routine this season in the Euroleague. The game seemed to be heading in the direction of defeat - after a close first quarter, CSKA went out for a 0:16 run in the second quarter, in less than 5 minutes, with the Yellows failing to score and playing weak defense.

The Israeli champion fell to halftime 18, and 6 minutes to the end of the third quarter was already 61:39 behind before starting to bite the difference with the help of great minutes from Tyler Dorsey, Sandy Cohen, Othello Hunter and Elijah Bryant.

Maccabi Tel Aviv closed the gap with the help of a fast and effective game, but every time it came close, it could not take the step to turn the game around.

Tyler Dorsey with a big three dropped to a delay of 2, 13 seconds to go, but no more than that.

Dorsey was the Yellows' bright spot in the game with 20 points and 5 of 7 from outside the arc, with Otho Hunter adding 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Scotty Wilbkin contributed 8 points on 3 of 13 from the field, Ante Žižić did indeed drop 9 rebounds but scored only 2 points while Dragon Bender got into trouble and scored 3 points in 4 minutes.

"In general it was not a defeat, we had a fall in the second quarter and it hit us," Dorsey tried to lower the flames a bit, "When we went 20 points behind it was hard to come back, we got close but it was hard. When we made stops, we could not score. "

Dorsey added about what happened in the half and the Yellows' comeback: "We just tried to fight and be aggressive, to bring energy. A lot of players changed what we did, and it worked. Getting back from 20 points is hard, not enough minutes to make the turnaround, we got closer but like any loss Our close, it's hard. We will continue to fight, we will not say that the season is over, no matter how hard it looks. We said in the half that we have to fight. Othello picked us up and told us we have to keep believing and fighting. That's what we did, we were short "Or another stop. When you put them in the game in the first half, it's very difficult to stop them. They are very talented."

One of the club members concluded in despair: "On the one hand we leave the game and say - the players gave everything at the end and came back, did not give up and showed something of the spirit. On the other hand, we recorded another loss, we were already 22 points behind, and looked really bad in the second quarter. of this type".

More on Walla!

Yannis Sapropoulos at the end of another loss: "We collapsed, it's frustrating"

To the full article

Dorsey promises to continue fighting (Photo: Danny Maron)

2. Maccabi Tel Aviv has one real chance to qualify for the Euroleague playoffs - to win all the games until the end of the season.

Assuming that does not happen, she will not play in the crossover games this season either, after last season despite getting her ticket to the playoffs, it did not take place due to the league shutdown.

The fourth consecutive loss last night is the longest streak of losses during the Sapropolos period at the Euroleague club and the Yellows are expected to finish another season at the bottom of the factory table, far from where they expected.

"We are not focused on what they say, we have nine more games and we will have to win all the games. We are in a difficult situation, but it is impossible to know in basketball, when we were 20 points behind, everyone thought the game was over. We have a game on Thursday, we will try to come back with a victory." Tyler Dorsey tried to divert attention to the game against Valencia.

But the team is not relieved at the end of the bad season.

"Since the loss to Zenit that could have taken us to a certain place, it was clear which direction we were going," one club official said last night.

"But to lose such an early chance, not to be able to take this extra step, it's already disappointing. So it's true that winning CSKA may have been too much, but add to that the loss to Bayern last week, Olympiacos here on the road, and it's already taking shape Very disappointing. "

Gets back, despite everything.

Wilbkin (Photo: Danny Maron)

Part of the fire at the end of the disappointing season was directed at Scotty Wilbkin.

Although the American guard was injured in the last rounds and did not play fully qualified, but as the leading and most expensive player of Maccabi Tel Aviv, the team expected more from him.

Wilbkin stands at 8.5 points and 6 assists in the last six rounds of the Euroleague compared to 17.1 points and 3.8 assists in 19 games before that.

The excellent sling was mainly affected by a decrease in its percentage outside the arc.

During his less-than-good period he averaged 1.5 three-pointers at just 26 percent, having previously stood at an average of 2.9 three-pointers at 35 percent.

"Scotty is a guy who takes those losses personally, and people need to be sure it bothers him," the club said recently.

Wilbkin has a contract for another season with the team, with an option for a third season on the current contract and a fifth overall.

Maccabi Tel Aviv has no intention of giving up its services and is expected to build the new team next season around it, hoping that it will be better in the decisive moments and that its style of play will fit better into what will be built.

Hard back to parquet.

Caspi alongside Zizic (Photo: Danny Maron)

4. The person who recorded his best game this season in the Euroleague last night was Omri Caspi. The forward received almost 17 minutes from Yannis Sporapoulos and responded with 6 points and 3 rebounds, although in some minutes he had a hard time finding his place. Caspi returned last week to play after a month and a half off the pitches due to a stomach virus.

Before the game, Yannis Sapropoulos confirmed in an interview with the sports channel that part of Caspi's minute limit stems from the insurance company's requirement that insures the player. Maccabi Tel Aviv confirmed the details during the game and one of those close to the player added that this prevented him in the comeback stages earlier this season from entering the pace of the game.

Caspi suffered a knee cartilage injury during last season and was absent from the pitches for almost an entire year. As part of the insurance company's requirements in order for it to agree to insure him, he was required to play regular minutes in the first stage, which prevented him from getting into the team fabric.

Assisted in the preparation of the article: Ohad Schwerman

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