After 5 consecutive wins in the Euroleague, including a table lead, Maccabi was weak • The Red Star, scoring 74 points on average, abused the yellows with 13 threes

• Fall in ability. Maccabi Tel Aviv // Photo: Alan Shiber

Big momentum interrupted: Two days after defeating Euroleague leader Anadolu Zero, Maccabi Tel Aviv suffered a surprising 76:92 defeat in Belgrade to the Red Star - a team that was ranked 14th in the Euroleague table.

Maccabi loses after 5 consecutive wins. In contrast, the Red Star came into the game with negative momentum, with one win in the last 9 games - until it met Maccabi. The loss means that CSKA Moscow compares to Maccabi in the fight for fourth place, which leads to domestic playoffs.

But what has to worry Maccabi is not just the loss, but also the big breakup in the third quarter. What differences in ability within 48 hours. Not only the result is surprising, but also the way. Given the host's limited attack abilities and good defensive abilities, it seemed that if she wanted to beat Maccabi - it would only be a game based on defenses and a low score.

The red star disguised herself as a cleric

In fact, just the opposite happened: The Red Star, scoring 74 points on average in the game, scored 92 in that game. The Red Star scored the fewest threes in the Euroleague this season - 7 threes on average. In that game, she scored 10 already in the half and 13 in the entire game. The Serbian group is 15th in the Euroleague by three percent - 33.7. This time she scored 57 percent.

Much of the "damage" to Maccabi came from center Vladimir Steimatz - 12 points and 12 rebounds, with a large presence in the color zone. However, only two Maccabi players reached double digits (Dorsey 19, Wilkin 11), and the team lost 19 balls.

The first signs of what is going to happen have already been welcomed. Billy Barron (19 points in the first half) scored 4 threes without a miss in the first 5 minutes. The star led twice in the 9th difference in the first half and dropped at the end of 20 minutes to 43:49. But as mentioned, everything fell apart in the third quarter, where the home team escaped to 22 points and finished the quarter with no less than 30 points - twice Maccabi. This quarter, Quincy Acey was furiously kicked in an advertising sign when it was replaced by head coach Janis Spropoulos, and was not returned until the end.

Will Maccabi return to Belgrade?

The last quarter was for protocol only, and Maccabi only managed to save itself from an even more embarrassing defeat. The interesting thing is that Maccabi may be back in Belgrade as early as next week, to host Baskonia. Remember, following the ban on entry into Spain due to the outbreak of the Corona virus, Maccabi will probably not be allowed to host the Spanish group in Israel, and will have to host it in an alternative location in Europe, when the preferred destination is Belgrade.