Maccabi Tel Aviv is gearing up for a pivotal week with two major European games against Paris and Barcelona.
These matchups are critical for the team’s standing in the Euroleague, and Maccabi enters with renewed confidence following a morale-boosting victory over ALBA Berlin, 103–85.
First off, Rokas Jokubaitis led the charge early, scoring eight consecutive points and finishing the game with a personal-best 24 points. Next, John DiBartolomeo set the Euroleague free-throw streak record with 70 consecutive makes, eclipsing Kevin Punter’s mark.
Wenyen Gabriel contributed across the board with eight points, seven rebounds, three assists, and three blocks, while Will Rayman brought high-energy defense and added 12 points off the bench. Jaylen Hoard shone with 18 points and four steals, while David DeJulius added a solid 14 points.
It was a remarkable evening, but one that should be taken in proportion due to the opponent on the opposite side of the floor.
However, a win is a win, and Maccabi needed one desperately in continental action after having dropped four straight contests and seeing its record plummet to 3–8. Prior to the ALBA game, Tel Aviv’s last European victory had been at the end of October against Real Madrid.
“This was a really good team win,” Rayman said following the victory. “And it’s really important for us because we lost some in a row. So it’s good to get some confidence from this win as we look towards next week’s double week. Hopefully, we can build on the momentum from this one.”
DiBartolomeo was all smiles after the game as well, “We got off to a good start, which I was happy with, and then we were able to maintain it. ALBA plays very fast—there are a lot of possessions. They could make a lot of runs, especially in their home gym, and they did exactly that. But we were able to weather it, which I think was a big step for us in our growth as a team.”
Both Rayman and DiBartolomeo made their marks in this game – the former putting in plenty of points while the latter put his name in the history books as Mr. Consistent from the charity stripe. However, the always modest Rayman (and the same can be said of DiBartolomeo) wanted to give credit where it was due for his performance.
“I just try to help the team in any way I can,” Rayman exclaimed. “Today my teammates were finding me, and I was able to make some shots and play some defense. But honestly, I’m just really happy with the win.”
As for DiBartolomeo, he didn’t want to dwell too long on the record-setting night and was more focused on the team taking home the victory.
“I was told at halftime, and I don’t like being told in the middle of the game – I think it’s a little distracting. I was a little worried I was going to miss one in the second half. But honestly, it’s cool to make history. The storyline here is that we were able to get back on the winning side in the Euroleague.”
The yellow-and-blue will try to build off this win with a pair of clashes next week at its home away from home in Belgrade. But it won’t be easy by any stretch of the imagination, with games against the upstart Paris team and the always-dangerous Barcelona, which is coming off a derby defeat to Real Madrid.
Maccabi did get to see its fans on Saturday night back at Yad Eliyahu as it defeated Maccabi Ramat Gan. Ultimately, with the ceasefire now in effect in the north and the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip wrapping up, the club and players would love to get back to playing their Euroleague home games in Tel Aviv.
Maccabi fans show support in Berlin
However, the Maccabi fans from far and wide showed up in Berlin despite the threats of large anti-Israel protests. This did bring in a significant police presence. Whether they were from Israel, Germany, or elsewhere, the yellow-and-blue supporters showed their love for the team when it was needed most.
DiBartolomeo explained: “From the start of the game, when they introduced the club and the players, the support was amazing, and it made me miss our Euroleague home crowd.”
Rayman, who has yet to experience a packed Yad Eliyahu on a Euroleague Thursday night, is awaiting that opportunity.
“It makes me want to play back in Menora. The fans are awesome, and they all showed up here, which was really fun and gave us a lot of energy. I couldn’t imagine a full Menora. I’ve seen it as a fan at a game, but I’ve never actually played in front of a sold-out crowd, so I’m excited. Hopefully, we can get back there at some point. But I’m just happy for all the fans that showed up here. It just shows how much they love Maccabi. It was great seeing Israeli flags out there, so it was good.”
This article was originally published at www.jpost.com
