Maccabi Tel Aviv downed Red Star Belgrade 81-76 to get back onto the winning track after a three game losing streak. The Yellow & Blue controlled the pace of play throughout the contest save for a couple of runs by the visitors as Scottie Wilbekin scored bundles over the first three quarters while Elijah Bryant sealed the deal with 14 points in the final frame to give the hosts the hard earned win. Maccabi moved their Euroleague record up to 4-8 on the season with a road trip to Vitoria next week for a date with Baskonia.

Scottie Wilbekin – Credit: Dov Halickman Photography

Wilbekin led Maccabi with 23 points, Bryant added 18 points while Othello Hunter chalked up a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Jordan Loyd was the Red Star high scorer with 24 points, Dejan Davidovac scored 14 points and Johnny O’Bryant chipped in with 13 points in the loss.

Chris Jones – Photo Credit: Maccabi Tel Aviv

Ognjen Kuzmic, Corey Walden and NBA champ Jordan Loyd got Red Star off and running while Scottie Wilbekin and Ante Zizic answered for Maccabi Tel Aviv as the visitors held a 12-9 lead midway through the first quarter. Othello Hunter scored a pair of baskets in the paint and then put down an alley-oop from Elijah Bryant but former Yellow & Blue Johnny O’Bryant scored inside, however, Tyler Dorsey hit an off balanced 3-pointer and Wilbekin nailed a triple at the buzzer to grab a 23-20 advantage after ten minutes of play.

Omri Casspi and John DiBartolomeo – Credit: Dov Halickman

Omri Casspi checked in for Dragan Bender and got on the stat sheet with a pair of points while Wilbekin scored a layup to bump Maccabi’s lead up to 29-22 with 6:54 left in the second quarter. Dorsey off the glass, Bryant with free throws and Chris Jones from long distance gave Ioannis Sfairopoulos’s squad momentum but Loyd, Dean Davidovac and Duop Reath kept Red Star close 41-38 at halftime.

Jordan Loyd – Photo Credit: Maccabi Tel Aviv

Wilbekin drilled a triple to get the third quarter underway and added free throws as well as another bucket while Hunter slammed the ball home to bump up the Maccabi lead to 50-39 midway through the frame. Bryant from Jones put in more points but O’Bryant scored from the top of the key and then went from beyond the arc, Davidovac added points and drilled a triple as did Loyd to pull to within 1-point, 56-55 after thirty minutes of action.

Angelo Caloiaro – Photo Credit: Maccabi Tel Aviv

Loyd and Wilbekin traded 3-pointers to begin the fourth quarter while Taylor Rochestie and Angelo Caloiaro did the same but Loyd out in a gorgeous runner to give Red Star a 66-64 lead with just over six minutes remaining in regulation time. Bryant scored in the paint for Maccabi as did Hunter but Emanuel Terry put in a monster jam but Bryant once again put in points for the hosts with a pair of big time buckets from downtown as Maccabi retook the lead 75-70 with 2:58 to go. Loyd hit a technical but Bryant with another triple finished off the game as Maccabi took the 5-point win.