Maccabi Tel Aviv downed Panathinaikos 95-83 as seven different players checked in with 9 or more points while dishing out 27 assists in an all-around brilliant well rounded performance. The victory moved their Eurolegaue record to 14-11 with the second game of the double week on Thursday night against ASVEL Villeurbanne as the yellow-and-blue will look to punch their ticket to the postseason.

The hosts came out strong to begin the game taking an early lead on Nemanja Nedovic’s sharp shooting, but Scottie Wilbekin, Ante Zizic, and Derrick Williams pushed Avi Even’s squad in front 55-46 by half-time. The yellow-and-blue continued to score at will but Panathinaikos began to chop away with baskets from Ioannis Papapetrou, however, Williams hit a number of big triples down the stretch to hand Maccabi the win.

Maccabi controlled the boards 36-32 and dished out more assists 28-20, committed only 8 turnovers to 15, chalked up 10 steals to 5 and shot 41% from beyond the arc in a dominating performance.

Williams led the way with 17 points, Jalen Reynolds scored 16 points and added 9 rebounds, James Nunnally chipped in with 15 points, Ante Zizic scored 13 points, Keenan Evans finished with 11 points while Scottie Wilbekin had 9 points and 9 assists in the win. Nedovic scored 16 points, Papapetrou added 17 points and Daryl Macon Jr. scored 13 points in the loss.

“It was a very tough night with another terror attack in Israel and it’s tough for me to talk basketball,” Maccabi coach Avi Even said following the game. “Our heart and the Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball club’s thoughts are with the victims and we hope that the injured will recover.

“It was a tough basketball game in a very tough arena. I am happy we managed to keep them to 37 points in the second half and that we were able to score easy lay-ups. We played at some moments good basketball and I am happy we won the game.”

“We had a good first quarter and we lost contact with the score in the second quarter,” Panathinaikos coach Dimitrios Priftis said. “Unfortunately, we have symptoms of allowing too many points in one quarter. Definitely, our problem was defensively. There are not many reasons to say more. We have one day and then a very difficult game against Real Madrid. The players tried, but it was not enough.”

Jalen Reynolds also reflected on the win, “This result means a lot to us. We came out to play basketball tonight. Stayed focused and got the job done. I think it was our defense. The way we stayed together and executed down the stretch. And I think it was the rebounds that got the job done for us today.”

Nemanja Nedovic went from deep and Jeremy Evans added points to get Panathinaikos off and running, but a triple by Keenan Evans along with points by Scottie Wilbekin and Ante Zizic with dunk led Maccabi Tel Aviv on a 10-0 run to take a 12-8 lead midway through the first quarter. Ioannis Papapetrou hit a 3-pointer, Howard Sant-Roos and Georgios Papagiannis all four points but Wilbekin drilled a 3-pointer and Iftach Ziv heaved up a Hail Mary at the end half that went in to keep the Yellow & Blue close but down 26-23 after ten minutes.

Leonidas Kaselakis and Vasilis Kavvadas scored for the hosts to begin the second quarter, Ziv and Zizic answered for the visitors but Daryl Macon Jr. and Nedovic went from downtown to keep Panathinaikos in front 37-32 with 5:40 left in the first half. Evans and James Nunnally quickly scored Eleftherios Mantzoukas and Papapetrou responded while Jalen Reynolds scored inside and Derrick Williams nailed a 3-pointer as Nunnally kept scoring and John Dibartolomeo added a basket as the half ended to put Avi Even’s team in the drivers seat with a 55-46 advantage.

Nedovic began the third quarter with points from beyond the arc, Nunnally matched him at the other end while Williams and Papapetrou traded buckets to keep Maccabi in the lead 59-51 midway through the period. Zizic scored a pair in the paint, Ziv and Dibartolomeo found points as well as Maccabi bumped the lead up to 70-58 after thirty minutes of play.

Williams, Ziv and Evans continued to score at will, but Papapetrou, Nedovic and Macon found points to quickly keep pace with Maccabi to pull to within 79-74 with 5:47 remaining in regulation time. Williams nailed a pair of 3-pointers and Reynolds added a pair of baskets to wrap up the 12-point victory.