Maccabi Tel Aviv overwhelmed Monaco 104-69 to send their quarterfinal series back to Monaco for a decisive game five. The yellow-and-blue led by Lorenzo Brown quickly put the game three loss to the wayside and ripped off a 20-0 run in the second quarter to grab a double digit lead by halftime and then with the help of Wade Baldwin outscored the visitors 57-33 in the second half to take the 35-point victory.

Oded Katash’s team controlled very aspect of the game going 13/29 from beyond the arc, grabbing 46 boards to 35 and dishing out

Lorenzo Brown led the way with 22 points, Wade Baldwin added 19 points and Alex Poythress scored 12 points in the win, Mike James scored 13 points, John Brown added 12 points and Donatas Motiejunas scored 11 points in the loss.

“This was a great win for us,” Maccabi coach Oded Katash began. “We adjusted and executed our game plan perfectly on offense and defense and our offense was dictated by the defense. I am really happy for the crowd they deserved it.”

“First, I want to say congrats to Maccabi,” Monaco assistant coach Milenko Bogicevic said. “They deserved this win. From the first moment of the game they played really aggressive with fully energy and we did not respond in the best way. So they really deserved this win today. A big congrats to Maccabi.”

Lorenzo Brown reflected on the win, “We needed to come out a lot more aggressive and a lot more focused. We need to keep being focused. We need to keep that same mentality going into game 5 in Monaco.”

The atmosphere around the arena leading up to the game was one of down and dour with very little positive energy which continued into the hallways of Yad Eliyahu. However, when the players stepped onto the court and the music began the fans started to serenade their heroes for one last time this season at home.

One by one the players names were called as they made the their way to acknowledge the supporters at home for one last time. Then it was the head coach Oded Katash’s turn as the fans sang out “Oded Melech Yisrael”, Oded King of Israel.

John Brown and Jarell Martin traded baskets to get the game underway, Wade Baldwin found points but Yakuba Ouattara, Mike James and Donatas Motiejunas all scored to give Monaco a 13-8 lead midway through the first quarter. Lorenzo Brown went from deep, Bonzie Colson scored off the glass, James put a halt to the Maccabi run as Jaron Blossomgame, Donta Hall and Elie Okobo all scored in the paint to take a 24-17 lead after ten minutes of play.

The piece de resistance of the pregame festivities was David Blatt’s induction into the Maccabi Tel Aviv Hall of Fame as he was ushered into the floor just before tipoff where a presentation was made, pictures were taken and his banner was raised to the rafters. The yellow-and-blue faithful surely remember Blatt’s run and gun offense with Tyrese Rice, Ricky Hickman and Devin Smith and that’s what they finally got to see love and in person once again.

Lorenzo Brown drilled home a corner 3-ball to begin the second quarter, Brown fed Baldwin for a massive alley-oop, Brown added points from downtown while Jake Cohen drained a pair from deep for Maccabi Tel Aviv to polish off a 20-0 run and take a 38-24 lead with five minutes left in the first half. Baldwin hit a one handed off balance basket, Motoiejunas responded, Okobo hit a pair from deep for a 10-0 clip to Sasa Obradovic’s squad but Colson and Josh Nebo came back with points to give Oded Katash’s squad a 47-36 advantage at halftime.

The fans couldn’t quite believe what they had witnessed in the second quarter. Finally Lorenzo Brown putting in basket after basket for 12 points, Maccabi saw their triples fall to the tune of 6/16, the yellow-and-blue controlled the boards 26-16 and went 9/10 from the charity stripe. Certainly a much bigger and better first half than the last game without a doubt.

Colson started off the third quarter with a leaning basket and then came flying off the baseline for a dunk, Alpha Diallo put in a 3-point play, Baldwin came back with a 3-pointer, Alex Poythress added a bucket and the aforementioned Baldwin scored again to give Maccabi a 60-44 lead midway through the frame. John Brown came out of the timeout with points, Lorenzo Brown answered, Poythress scored, Jordan Loyd came back the other way, Martin dunked, Brown dialled up long distance, Poythress out down a mega dunk while Baldwin drained a triple to give the yellow-and-blue a 79-53 lead after thirty minutes of play.

With a 26-point lead by the third quarter Obradovic had seen enough in person and let it be known that he was going to get ready for game five as he was sent packing by the referees. Not before of course he stomped on the floor and got his money’s worth as he was going to make it crystal clear that the story next Wednesday would be much different.

Hilliard went from deep, James and Lorenzo Brown traded baskets while Iftach Ziv put down a dunk to send Maccabi back to Monaco for a decisive game 5 back in Monaco next week.