Maccabi Tel Aviv dropped Zalgiris 95-78 to get back onto the winning track after close to a month without a victory in Euroleague action. Oded Katash’s squad came out full of energy as Rokas Jokubaitis scored with ease as did Jaylen Hoard who also found points a plenty while Deividas Sirvydis scored in bunches but the yellow-and-blue stayed in the lead at halftime 50-38. Levi Randolph and Roman Sorkin started filling the basket in the second half while Hoard and Jokubatiis joined them to run away with a 17-point win.

Hoard scored 23 points while Jokubaitis and Sorkin scored 18 points a piece in the win. Sirvydas and Sylvain Francisco scored 15 points each and Lonnie Walker added 14 points in the loss.

“I really like the reaction under the circumstances,” Maccabi Tel Aviv Head Coach Oded Katash said. “Last week we had some tough losses and we reach the right way. I really liked the boy language and energy and we needed it. Our situation has been really hard and almost impossible but we try not to use excuses and that is our challenge. That’s why I really liked how we played.”

“Maccabi deserved to wins,” a disappointed Zalgiris Head Coach Andrea Trinchieri said. “They played better and had better energy and they destroyed us. It’s a very bad night for us and we embarrassed ourselves. All the good things we did we just threw them in the garbage in a game that we didn’t compete. We didn’t have enough physical and mental energy to do the basic stuff. The whole team didn’t care enough and it. lt’s extremely disappointing and delusional. It’s our worst game of the season and the wrong game to do it. I expect something more and something better. I tried to move the players and nothing charged. It’s a strong hard reality check.”

Jaylen Hoard spoke about the victory, “It was a really great game and I was really happy how we played defense because our last game we had a tough loss in the Israeli league. We felt that we didn’t have enough fight and we didn’t play well on defense so we wanted to bounce back. I feel like we did a good job.”

Rokas Jokubatis scored on the outside and inside to get Maccabi Tel Aviv off and running, Edgaras Ulanovas had the hot hand for Zalgiris but Jaylen Hoard scored as well while Jokubatis kept filling the basket and newcomer Trevion Williams dunked off a steal to give the hosts a 26-19 lead after ten minutes of play.

Levi Randolph, Hoard and Roman Sorkin all scored from inside the paint, Tamir Blatt went from downtown, Lonnie Walker countered at the other end, Sorkin went from the inside and outside, Jokubatis dialed up long distance, Deividas Sirvydis came back with points a plenty but Oded Katash’s team went halftime holding a 50-38 advantage.

Sorkin and Hoard began the third quarter with baskets, Randolph put in a 3-point play, Sylvain Francisco scored a pair from deep, Alen Smailagic and Walker scored but a deuce by Randolph kept Maccabi in front 71-57 after thirty minutes of action.

Randolph led off the fourth quarter from downtown, Jokubatis dialed up long distance, Sorkin scored a pair of baskets and Williams hit a turnaround jumper while Sorkin just kept filling the basket to polish off the win.