AXA FC Barcelona vs. Maccabi Elite - ShowGame - Welcome to EUROLEAGUE BASKETBALL

May 22, 2013

Playoffs Game 2 - April 03, 2008 CET: 20:45 Local time: 20:45 - PALAU BLAUGRANA

AXA FC Barcelona 83 - 74 Maccabi Elite

PLAYOFFS, GAME 2

GROUP Quarterfinal 1

Fenerbahce Ulker 65 - Montepaschi Siena 86

GROUP Quarterfinal 2

Partizan Igokea 76 - Tau Ceramica 55

GROUP Quarterfinal 3

AXA FC Barcelona 83 - Maccabi Elite 74

GROUP Quarterfinal 4

Olympiacos 73 - CSKA Moscow 83

Records

Ave.		Ave.
0-0	Final Four	0-0
0-1	Playoffs	1-0
3-3	Top 16	4-2
9-5	Regular Season	10-3
12-9	Overall	16-5

Referees

Crew Chief

BRAZAUSKAS, ROMUALDAS, Lithuania

Referee

DOZAI, SRDAN, Croatia

Umpire

VIATOR, EDDIE, France

Team Stats

Ave.		Ave.
73.8	Points	83.8
33.4	Rebounds	32.8
10.4	O. Rebounds	8.2
23.0	D. Rebounds	24.5
14.3	Assists	18.4
9.3	Steals	10.1
3.8	Blocks	2.9
13.0	Turnovers	13.3
54.6 %	2PT	56.9 %
29.2 %	3PT	40.2 %
72.8 %	FT	71.6 %
81.0	Index	95.2

Team Stats - AXA FC Barcelona

Team Stats - Maccabi Elite

Player Stats

Ave.		Ave.
12.8 / Lakovic	Points	12.3 / MORRIS, TERENCE
5.7 / TRIAS, JORDI	Rebounds	8.3 / MORRIS, TERENCE
2.2 / TRIAS, JORDI	OR	2.4 / Batista
3.5 / TRIAS, JORDI	DR	6.2 / MORRIS, TERENCE
3.7 / SANCHEZ, PEPE	Assists	4.0 / HALPERIN, YOTAM
1.5 / SANCHEZ, PEPE	Steals	1.3 / Batista
1.2 / ILYASOVA, ERSAN	Blocks	1.8 / MORRIS, TERENCE
2.1 / Lakovic	Turnovers	2.3 / BYNUM, W.
66.0 % / TRIAS, JORDI	2PT	63.2 % / CASSPI, OMRI
37.4 % / Lakovic	3PT	100.0 % / Batista
84.6 % / Acker	FT	100.0 % / SHARP, DERRICK
13.6 / Lakovic	Index	18.1 / MORRIS, TERENCE

Team Roster - AXA FC Barcelona

Team Roster - Maccabi Elite

THE TAKE

AXA FC Barcelona will look to extend its Euroleague Basketball season for at least one more game when it hosts Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv in Game 2 of the teams’ best-of-three Quarterfinal Playoffs series on Thursday night at the Palau Blagrana. Maccabi took a 1-0 series lead with an 81-75 win on Tuesday in Israel and can punch its ticket to the Final Four in Madrid with a win in Barcelona. But that won’t be an easy task. Barcelona was equal to Maccabi for much of the game on Tuesday, playing iron defense and riding the hot hands of Gianluca Basile and Ersan Ilyasova – who were a combined 9 for 16 from downtown – on a night when leading scorer Jaka Lakovic was an abysmal 1-for-10 shooting. Head coach Xavier Pascual has many positives he can build on for Game 2, including Mario Kasun’s strong play in the paint – 12 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks in 24 minutes. Furthermore, thanks to the use of a balanced rotation, most of the home team’s players should have fresh legs for the second game. On the other end, Maccabi will be riding high from the Game 1 win and head coach Zvika Sherf’s charges have shown the ability to win away games at tough courts, recording victories at Top 16 sides Efes Pilsen, Aris TT Bank, Olympiacos and Real Madrid in the last three months alone. In Game 1, Maccabi got solid performances from its big trio of Terrence Morris, Nikola Vujcic and Esteban Batista in the paint, while the starting backcourt of Yotam Halperin and Will Bynum was very effective too. However with those two combining to play nearly 70 minutes, Maccabi may need its reserve guards Alex Garcia, Derrick Sharp and Vonteego Cummings to deliver. Cummings was benched for all 40 minutes in Game 1 after starting Maccabi’s first 20 games this season. Barcelona has a distinct home-court advantage, as not only has it gone 8-2 there this season, but recently won a do-or-die game in the Top 16 final against CSKA just to reach the playoffs. And with an experienced veteran roster, the pressure of another must-win game shouldn’t be too much of an issue. But Maccabi will be eager to sweep the series and to avoid a deciding Game 3 next week.eH A key matchup will be in the backcourt, where Barca needs Lakovic to bounce back, while Maccabi needs Halperin to stay strong for as many minutes as possible. Keep an eye on those two players to see how they steer their teams’ fortunes in what promises to be another exciting Quarterfinal Playoffs encounter. Wednesday, April 02, 2008 Euroleague.net

AXA FC Barcelona will look to extend its Euroleague Basketball season for at least one more game when it hosts Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv in Game 2 of the teams’ best-of-three Quarterfinal Playoffs series on Thursday night at the Palau Blagrana. Maccabi took a 1-0 series lead with an 81-75 win on Tuesday in Israel and can punch its ticket to the Final Four in Madrid with a win in Barcelona. But that won’t be an easy task. Barcelona was equal to Maccabi for much of the game on Tuesday, playing iron defense and riding the hot hands of Gianluca Basile and Ersan Ilyasova – who were a combined 9 for 16 from downtown – on a night when leading scorer Jaka Lakovic was an abysmal 1-for-10 shooting. Head coach Xavier Pascual has many positives he can build on for Game 2, including Mario Kasun’s strong play in the paint – 12 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks in 24 minutes. Furthermore, thanks to the use of a balanced rotation, most of the home team’s players should have fresh legs for the second game. On the other end, Maccabi will be riding high from the Game 1 win and head coach Zvika Sherf’s charges have shown the ability to win away games at tough courts, recording victories at Top 16 sides Efes Pilsen, Aris TT Bank, Olympiacos and Real Madrid in the last three months alone. In Game 1, Maccabi got solid performances from its big trio of Terrence Morris, Nikola Vujcic and Esteban Batista in the paint, while the starting backcourt of Yotam Halperin and Will Bynum was very effective too. However with those two combining to play nearly 70 minutes, Maccabi may need its reserve guards Alex Garcia, Derrick Sharp and Vonteego Cummings to deliver. Cummings was benched for all 40 minutes in Game 1 after starting Maccabi’s first 20 games this season. Barcelona has a distinct home-court advantage, as not only has it gone 8-2 there this season, but recently won a do-or-die game in the Top 16 final against CSKA just to reach the playoffs. And with an experienced veteran roster, the pressure of another must-win game shouldn’t be too much of an issue. But Maccabi will be eager to sweep the series and to avoid a deciding Game 3 next week.eH A key matchup will be in the backcourt, where Barca needs Lakovic to bounce back, while Maccabi needs Halperin to stay strong for as many minutes as possible. Keep an eye on those two players to see how they steer their teams’ fortunes in what promises to be another exciting Quarterfinal Playoffs encounter.

Wednesday, April 02, 2008

Euroleague.net

Quotes Head Coaches

PASCUAL, XAVIER AXA FC Barcelona "We went to Tel Aviv for the first game and were competitive, but we lost. I keep saying this: the mentally stronger team is going to win the series. And I think we showed we can beat Maccabi. We need the help of our fans, the same way they helped us in the game against CSKA Moscow. Maccabi will play the second game trying to make it 2-0. I expect a team playing faster than Tuesday and shooting better for sure. The pressure is on us right now. We need to play better than Tuesday in some areas: we made very few turnovers, but Maccabi took good advantage from them. We need to control our aggressiveness, especially in the beginning of the game, and be more patient. We made some mistakes on defense because sometimes we wanted to be in too many places at the same time. Yes, the 31 three-pointers we took is a big amount, but most of them were in good positions."

PASCUAL, XAVIER

AXA FC Barcelona

"We went to Tel Aviv for the first game and were competitive, but we lost. I keep saying this: the mentally stronger team is going to win the series. And I think we showed we can beat Maccabi. We need the help of our fans, the same way they helped us in the game against CSKA Moscow. Maccabi will play the second game trying to make it 2-0. I expect a team playing faster than Tuesday and shooting better for sure. The pressure is on us right now. We need to play better than Tuesday in some areas: we made very few turnovers, but Maccabi took good advantage from them. We need to control our aggressiveness, especially in the beginning of the game, and be more patient. We made some mistakes on defense because sometimes we wanted to be in too many places at the same time. Yes, the 31 three-pointers we took is a big amount, but most of them were in good positions."

SHERF, ZVI Maccabi Elite "We need to look ahead now to game 2 and not think about game 1. We’re in a pretty good situation, except for maybe one or two players who played more minutes than we initially planed, because we cut our rotation in the second half. We still have another 24 hours to make up our minds. We’ll see how our players feel. We didn’t underestimate Barcelona when they came to us for Game 1 and we certainly won’t take them lightly in Game 2. We saw their game against CSKA two weeks ago and we know their level. We will do what we need to win. We worked hard to win Game 1 and now the pressure is on them."

SHERF, ZVI

Maccabi Elite

"We need to look ahead now to game 2 and not think about game 1. We’re in a pretty good situation, except for maybe one or two players who played more minutes than we initially planed, because we cut our rotation in the second half. We still have another 24 hours to make up our minds. We’ll see how our players feel. We didn’t underestimate Barcelona when they came to us for Game 1 and we certainly won’t take them lightly in Game 2. We saw their game against CSKA two weeks ago and we know their level. We will do what we need to win. We worked hard to win Game 1 and now the pressure is on them."

Players

MARCONATO, DENIS AXA FC Barcelona "This will be a very difficult game for us. It's a live-or-die game. But we know we can play better than Tuesday and dominate the game. I expect Maccabi to be as a good team as it was in the first game, but I expect AXA Barcelona to play better. We didn't make a lot of outside shots and we didn't execute well on defense, especially against their pick-and-roll. If we can control Morris and Batista, half the work will be done. We are tired, of course, but this can't be a factor in such an important game as this one. The team is prepared and focused on the second game."
ACKER, ALEX AXA FC Barcelona "At home we play a faster game, and we'll try to execute better. We want to come back to Tel Aviv for one more game and win this series. Maccabi is a tough team, but we can beat them. We must stay focused for the next game and come back to Tel Aviv for one more game."

MARCONATO, DENIS

AXA FC Barcelona

"This will be a very difficult game for us. It's a live-or-die game. But we know we can play better than Tuesday and dominate the game. I expect Maccabi to be as a good team as it was in the first game, but I expect AXA Barcelona to play better. We didn't make a lot of outside shots and we didn't execute well on defense, especially against their pick-and-roll. If we can control Morris and Batista, half the work will be done. We are tired, of course, but this can't be a factor in such an important game as this one. The team is prepared and focused on the second game."

ACKER, ALEX

AXA FC Barcelona

"At home we play a faster game, and we'll try to execute better. We want to come back to Tel Aviv for one more game and win this series. Maccabi is a tough team, but we can beat them. We must stay focused for the next game and come back to Tel Aviv for one more game."

SHARP, DERRICK Maccabi Elite "We can improve a lot. We didn’t play one of our great games, but we won anyway. And that’s good. We didn’t shoot the ball well. I think we lost Basile and Ilyasova a coup,e of times in transition. We have to pay more attention to those guys and knock down a few more shots. If we do that, we’ll be better off."

SHARP, DERRICK

Maccabi Elite

"We can improve a lot. We didn’t play one of our great games, but we won anyway. And that’s good. We didn’t shoot the ball well. I think we lost Basile and Ilyasova a coup,e of times in transition. We have to pay more attention to those guys and knock down a few more shots. If we do that, we’ll be better off."

A career night from Gianluca Basile led AXA FC Barcelona to an 83-74 win over Maccabi Elite on Thursday night at the Palau Blaugrana in Game 2 of the team’s Euroleague Basketball Quarterfinal Playoffs series. The third and deciding game of the best-of-three series will take place next Thursday at Nokia Arena in Tel Aviv with the winner assured of a ticket to Madrid for the 2008 Final Four, while the winner will finish his season. Basile was simply red hot for Barca, finishing with a career-high 34 points, which also matches Luis Scola’s record for the most points scored in a quarterfinal game. The 33-year-old Basile was simply unguardable and more than made up for another off night from the team’s leading scorer, Jaka Lakovic, who finished scoreless. Pepe Sanchez and Roger Grimau added 11 points apiece and Fran Vazquez posted 8 points and 10 rebounds for the winners. Omri Casspi recorded career-highs of 18 points and 10 rebounds to lead Maccabi. Terence Morris added 16 points and 11 boards and Will Bynum scored 13 in defeat. The game was even for 10 minutes, but a 10-0 Barca run capped by a Sanchez to Mario Kasun alley-oop slam gave the hosts the lead for good in the second period. Maccabi continued to challenge, sticking at 43-37 at halftime and getting within 1 in the third quarter, but Basile was always there to answer whether with a clutch three-pointer or a running layup, leaving the Israeli champs no real chance and setting up a dramatic Game 3 for next week. Ersan Ilyasova got Barcelona going with a put-back basket, but Morris immediately answered with a long jumper for a 2-3 Maccabi edge. Barcelona attacked the baskets in the early going, as free throws by Denis Marconato and Alex Acker put the hosts ahead, 5-2. Halperin struck from downtown, but a long two-pointer by Basile and a wild reverse layup by Acker gave Barcelona a 9-5 edge. Morris kept pacing Maccabi with a triple and Casspi shined with a big block on Ilyasova. Nikols Vujcic provided a highlight with a behind-the-back assist to Casspi but a jumper by Basile helped Barcelona regain the lead, 11-10. Maccabi had already adjusted its defense and free throws by Casspi put the guests back ahead, 11-13. Acker sank a jumper and after a red-hot Casspi threw down a slam, a driving layup by Basile tied it at 15-15. Maccabi struggled to score now while Basile buried a seven-meter bomb for an 18-16 Barcelona edge. Morris banked in a short jumper, but Pepe Sanchez bettered him with a three-pointer. Bynum scored in transition before Casspi added a put-back layup for a 21-22 Maccabi edge. A five-meter shot by Vazquez restored a 23-22 Barcelona lead after 10 minutes. Both teams exchanged missed shots and turnovers early in the second quarter until Grimau fed Mario Kasun for an alley-oop dunk. Maccabi had been scoreless for more than two minutes when a fast break layup by Basile caused the guests to call timeout at 27-22. Sanchez provided a highlight with an outstanding driving layup before another alley-oop dunk by Kasun capped a 10-0 run for a 31-22 Barcelona lead. Esteban Batista stepped up with a free throw that Morris followed with a put-back dunk to bring Maccabi back to life, 31-25. Morris scored again under the basket and then Tal Burstein stepped on court for the first time this season. Kasun hit free throws and Grimau added a driving layup to keep the hosts out of trouble, 35-27. Vujcic found his first points on a jump hook, but Sanchez struck again from downtown. Morris remained unstoppable in the paint and Bynum followed a fast break layup with a three-point play to bring Maccabi back to life at 38-36. Gary Neal sank a running jumper, but Barcelona started missing shots despite dominating the offensive glass. Yotam Halperin shot from midcourt with 10 seconds to go, allowing Basile to beat the buzzer with a triple and make it 43-37 at halftime. Barcelona tried to get Kasun and Vazquez involved without much success right after the break, while Maccabi opted to slow down the game tempo. Vujcic fired in a triple from the top of the key, but a tip-in by Vazquez gave Barcelona a 45-40 edge. Casspi took over with a huge put-back dunk and Morris scored again in the paint to make it a 1-point game. Basile stepped up with a fast break layup that Vujcic erased with a reverse basket. Basile kept pacing Barcelona with his trademark step-back triple, as Barcelona was more focused at both ends now, with incredible intensity on defense. Vazquez shined with another tip-in and Basile added a running three-pointer that made Maccabi ask for a timeout at 55-46. Casspi sank a triple from the left corner and even though Kasun answered with free throws, he scored again to get Maccabi within 57-51. Basile and Grimau sank foul shots to give Barcelona its first double-digit margin, 61-51. Lior Eliyahu hit a floating layup and Esteban Batista added an acrobatic basket, but Basile buried his fifth bomb from downtown for a 64-55 Barcelona lead. Bynum beat the buzzer with an oustanding triple to bring Maccabi within 64-58 after three quarters. Basile fed Vazquez for a baseline jumper right at the start of the fourth quarter and then buried yet another three-pointer to make it 69-58. It was do-or-die time for Maccabi, but Barcelona was all over the place on defense. Grimau made free throws, but Batista banked in a close jumper after a Maccabi timeout. Basile remained unstoppable with free throws, only Eliyahu answered in the same way. Derrick Sharp nailed a triple, but the ever-present Basile took over with a fast break layup. Sanchez buried his third three-pointer and even when Bynum scored again, Barcelona was at a different level now on defense. Vujcic sank a six-meter jumper to give Maccabi some hope, 78-69, with four minutes remaining. Grimau set the crowd on fire with a wide-open triple and a block by Basile on Sharp that finished with all the guests' hopes. Maccabi kept trying, however, and Sharp took revenge with a seven-meter bomb, but Grimau shined with a driving layup and added free throws to make all Barcelona fans start celebrating. Barcelona stayed alive and both teams will be back to Tel Aviv in a make-or-break showdown for a Final Four berth! Thursday, April 03, 2008 Javier Gancedo, Barcelona

A career night from Gianluca Basile led AXA FC Barcelona to an 83-74 win over Maccabi Elite on Thursday night at the Palau Blaugrana in Game 2 of the team’s Euroleague Basketball Quarterfinal Playoffs series. The third and deciding game of the best-of-three series will take place next Thursday at Nokia Arena in Tel Aviv with the winner assured of a ticket to Madrid for the 2008 Final Four, while the winner will finish his season. Basile was simply red hot for Barca, finishing with a career-high 34 points, which also matches Luis Scola’s record for the most points scored in a quarterfinal game. The 33-year-old Basile was simply unguardable and more than made up for another off night from the team’s leading scorer, Jaka Lakovic, who finished scoreless. Pepe Sanchez and Roger Grimau added 11 points apiece and Fran Vazquez posted 8 points and 10 rebounds for the winners. Omri Casspi recorded career-highs of 18 points and 10 rebounds to lead Maccabi. Terence Morris added 16 points and 11 boards and Will Bynum scored 13 in defeat. The game was even for 10 minutes, but a 10-0 Barca run capped by a Sanchez to Mario Kasun alley-oop slam gave the hosts the lead for good in the second period. Maccabi continued to challenge, sticking at 43-37 at halftime and getting within 1 in the third quarter, but Basile was always there to answer whether with a clutch three-pointer or a running layup, leaving the Israeli champs no real chance and setting up a dramatic Game 3 for next week.

Ersan Ilyasova got Barcelona going with a put-back basket, but Morris immediately answered with a long jumper for a 2-3 Maccabi edge. Barcelona attacked the baskets in the early going, as free throws by Denis Marconato and Alex Acker put the hosts ahead, 5-2. Halperin struck from downtown, but a long two-pointer by Basile and a wild reverse layup by Acker gave Barcelona a 9-5 edge. Morris kept pacing Maccabi with a triple and Casspi shined with a big block on Ilyasova. Nikols Vujcic provided a highlight with a behind-the-back assist to Casspi but a jumper by Basile helped Barcelona regain the lead, 11-10. Maccabi had already adjusted its defense and free throws by Casspi put the guests back ahead, 11-13. Acker sank a jumper and after a red-hot Casspi threw down a slam, a driving layup by Basile tied it at 15-15. Maccabi struggled to score now while Basile buried a seven-meter bomb for an 18-16 Barcelona edge. Morris banked in a short jumper, but Pepe Sanchez bettered him with a three-pointer. Bynum scored in transition before Casspi added a put-back layup for a 21-22 Maccabi edge. A five-meter shot by Vazquez restored a 23-22 Barcelona lead after 10 minutes.

Will Bynum - Maccabi Elite

Both teams exchanged missed shots and turnovers early in the second quarter until Grimau fed Mario Kasun for an alley-oop dunk. Maccabi had been scoreless for more than two minutes when a fast break layup by Basile caused the guests to call timeout at 27-22. Sanchez provided a highlight with an outstanding driving layup before another alley-oop dunk by Kasun capped a 10-0 run for a 31-22 Barcelona lead. Esteban Batista stepped up with a free throw that Morris followed with a put-back dunk to bring Maccabi back to life, 31-25. Morris scored again under the basket and then Tal Burstein stepped on court for the first time this season. Kasun hit free throws and Grimau added a driving layup to keep the hosts out of trouble, 35-27. Vujcic found his first points on a jump hook, but Sanchez struck again from downtown. Morris remained unstoppable in the paint and Bynum followed a fast break layup with a three-point play to bring Maccabi back to life at 38-36. Gary Neal sank a running jumper, but Barcelona started missing shots despite dominating the offensive glass. Yotam Halperin shot from midcourt with 10 seconds to go, allowing Basile to beat the buzzer with a triple and make it 43-37 at halftime.

Barcelona tried to get Kasun and Vazquez involved without much success right after the break, while Maccabi opted to slow down the game tempo. Vujcic fired in a triple from the top of the key, but a tip-in by Vazquez gave Barcelona a 45-40 edge. Casspi took over with a huge put-back dunk and Morris scored again in the paint to make it a 1-point game. Basile stepped up with a fast break layup that Vujcic erased with a reverse basket. Basile kept pacing Barcelona with his trademark step-back triple, as Barcelona was more focused at both ends now, with incredible intensity on defense. Vazquez shined with another tip-in and Basile added a running three-pointer that made Maccabi ask for a timeout at 55-46. Casspi sank a triple from the left corner and even though Kasun answered with free throws, he scored again to get Maccabi within 57-51. Basile and Grimau sank foul shots to give Barcelona its first double-digit margin, 61-51. Lior Eliyahu hit a floating layup and Esteban Batista added an acrobatic basket, but Basile buried his fifth bomb from downtown for a 64-55 Barcelona lead. Bynum beat the buzzer with an oustanding triple to bring Maccabi within 64-58 after three quarters.

Roger Grimau - AXA FC Barcelona

Basile fed Vazquez for a baseline jumper right at the start of the fourth quarter and then buried yet another three-pointer to make it 69-58. It was do-or-die time for Maccabi, but Barcelona was all over the place on defense. Grimau made free throws, but Batista banked in a close jumper after a Maccabi timeout. Basile remained unstoppable with free throws, only Eliyahu answered in the same way. Derrick Sharp nailed a triple, but the ever-present Basile took over with a fast break layup. Sanchez buried his third three-pointer and even when Bynum scored again, Barcelona was at a different level now on defense. Vujcic sank a six-meter jumper to give Maccabi some hope, 78-69, with four minutes remaining. Grimau set the crowd on fire with a wide-open triple and a block by Basile on Sharp that finished with all the guests' hopes. Maccabi kept trying, however, and Sharp took revenge with a seven-meter bomb, but Grimau shined with a driving layup and added free throws to make all Barcelona fans start celebrating. Barcelona stayed alive and both teams will be back to Tel Aviv in a make-or-break showdown for a Final Four berth!

Thursday, April 03, 2008

Javier Gancedo, Barcelona

Referees: BRAZAUSKAS, ROMUALDAS (LTU), DOZAI, SRDAN (CRO), VIATOR, EDDIE (FRA)

Attendance: 6739

By Quarter	1	2	3	4
AXA FC Barcelona	23	20	21	19
Maccabi Elite	22	15	21	16

End of Quarter	1	2	3	4
AXA FC Barcelona	23	43	64	83
Maccabi Elite	22	37	58	74

Head coach: PASCUAL, XAVIER

AXA FC Barcelona
#	Player	Min	Pts	2FG M-A	3FG M-A	FT M-A	Rebounds			As	St	To	Bl		Fouls		PIR
#	Player	Min	Pts	2FG M-A	3FG M-A	FT M-A	O	D	T	As	St	To	Fv	Ag	Cm	Rv	PIR
5	BASILE, GIANLUCA	35:52	34	6/11	6/12	4/5		5	5	1	2	2	1	1	1	4	31
6	SANCHEZ, PEPE	24:04	11	1/2	3/6		1	5	6	3	1	1			1	2	17
8	TRIAS, JORDI	6:27		0/1			1	1	2	1				1			1
9	MARCONATO, DENIS	14:35	2	0/2		2/2	1	2	3	1			1	1	2	1	3
10	LAKOVIC, JAKA	15:56		0/2	0/2			1	1	1				1	1	1	-3
13	NEAL, GARY	6:54	2	1/1	0/2		1		1						2		-1
17	VAZQUEZ, FRAN	26:16	8	4/8	0/1		2	8	10	1		1	1		2		12
21	ILYASOVA, ERSAN	8:06	2	1/2			1		1	1				1	1		1
24	MONCASI, ALBERT	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
34	ACKER, ALEX	16:21	5	2/4	0/1	1/2		1	1	1	1		1		3	1	3
41	KASUN, MARIO	22:28	8	2/5		4/4	2	4	6		1	1	1		1	3	14
44	GRIMAU, ROGER	23:01	11	2/4	1/2	4/4		2	2	5	2		1		4	5	19
	Team						1		1		1	1					1
	Totals	200:00	83	19/42	10/26	15/17	10	29	39	15	8	6	6	5	18	17	98
				45.2%	38.5%	88.2%

Min: Minutes played; Pts: Points; 2FG M-A: 2-point Field Goals (Made-Attempted); 3FG M-A: 3-point Field Goals (Made-Attempted); FT M-A: Free Throws (Made-Attempted); Rebounds: O (Offensive), D (Defensive), T (Total); As: Assists; St: Steals; To: Turnovers; Bl: Blocks (Fv: In Favor / Ag: Against); Fouls: Cm (Commited), Rv (Received); PIR: Performance Index Rating

Head coach: SHERF, ZVI

Maccabi Elite
#	Player	Min	Pts	2FG M-A	3FG M-A	FT M-A	Rebounds			As	St	To	Bl		Fouls		PIR
#	Player	Min	Pts	2FG M-A	3FG M-A	FT M-A	O	D	T	As	St	To	Fv	Ag	Cm	Rv	PIR
4	BYNUM, WILL	29:17	13	4/6	1/3	2/3	1	5	6		1	1			3	3	14
6	SHARP, DERRICK	9:00	6	0/1	2/4									1			2
7	VUJCIC, NIKOLA	22:10	9	3/6	1/3		1	2	3	4	1	4	1		2	1	8
8	ELIYAHU, LIOR	5:29	4	1/2		2/2				1						1	5
9	MORRIS, TERENCE	34:31	16	6/11	1/5	1/2	2	9	11	2		4	3	1	3	2	16
10	BURSTEIN, TAL	7:09						1	1							2	3
11	CASSPI, OMRI	30:23	18	5/6	1/3	5/10	2	8	10	1	1		1	1	3	8	27
12	GARCIA, ALEX	9:19		0/2										1	2		-5
13	BLU, DAVID	8:45		0/1	0/1		1	1	2
14	CUMMINGS, VONTEEGO	11:16		0/2	0/1					1				1	1		-4
15	BATISTA, ESTEBAN	14:45	5	2/4		1/2	2	1	3	2		1		1	2	1	4
21	HALPERIN, YOTAM	17:56	3	0/1	1/3			1	1	2		1			1		1
	Team						2	2	4		1						5
	Totals	200:00	74	21/42	7/23	11/19	11	30	41	13	4	11	5	6	17	18	76
				50%	30.4%	57.9%

This game is not yet played

Head Coaches

PASCUAL, XAVIER AXA FC Barcelona "First of all, and as always in such games, I want to congratulate our fans for helping us in a game like this. They took us through the right way. I did it in the locker room, but I also want to congratulate my players in general. They deserve the chance to play Game 3. This game went the way we expected. We had problems to stop Casspi in the early going and also struggled on plays by Vujcic and Morris. We managed to get an 11-point lead in the second quarter, they got back but a triple by Basile gave us a six-point lead. We came out in the third quarter to win the partial score but that triple by Bynum tied it. We had an excellent fourth quarter, very solid in defense, that allowed us to seal the outcome easily. Basile had an excellent game, also on defense, without mistakes, running the break and shooting well, an all-around game. Before the series, I said that the team that would stay mentally stronger would make it to the Final Four and I say it again. We handled well the pressure and let's see what happens in Game 3. For me, my team is always the favorite and it has been like that since day one when I cam here. I only think about winning every game and everybody must feel that, so I don't think Maccabi is the favorite in Game 3: anyone can win. Lakovic had an intelligent game, running the plays and on defense. We have been playing well and will go to Tel Aviv with only the ambition to win. Maccabi will have to play very well if it wants to beat us. The game will be decided by small details."

PASCUAL, XAVIER

AXA FC Barcelona

"First of all, and as always in such games, I want to congratulate our fans for helping us in a game like this. They took us through the right way. I did it in the locker room, but I also want to congratulate my players in general. They deserve the chance to play Game 3. This game went the way we expected. We had problems to stop Casspi in the early going and also struggled on plays by Vujcic and Morris. We managed to get an 11-point lead in the second quarter, they got back but a triple by Basile gave us a six-point lead. We came out in the third quarter to win the partial score but that triple by Bynum tied it. We had an excellent fourth quarter, very solid in defense, that allowed us to seal the outcome easily. Basile had an excellent game, also on defense, without mistakes, running the break and shooting well, an all-around game. Before the series, I said that the team that would stay mentally stronger would make it to the Final Four and I say it again. We handled well the pressure and let's see what happens in Game 3. For me, my team is always the favorite and it has been like that since day one when I cam here. I only think about winning every game and everybody must feel that, so I don't think Maccabi is the favorite in Game 3: anyone can win. Lakovic had an intelligent game, running the plays and on defense. We have been playing well and will go to Tel Aviv with only the ambition to win. Maccabi will have to play very well if it wants to beat us. The game will be decided by small details."

SHERF, ZVI Maccabi Elite "Congratulations to Barcelona for the win. They deserved to win the game tonight. We didn't succeed in something we wanted to do. Above all, we didn't manage to stop Basile, who had a great game. We now have Game 3 and both teams will prepare it well. We will do everything we can to cover the mistakes we made today. I respected Barcelona before and after the series: full respect. Up to this point, nobody can surprise anybody. Every team will go on court in Game 3 with all they have - players, shape and motivation to win. Of course, every team likes to play at home and that gives you some advantage. We will try to use this advantage to play better. Casspi is the youngest talented player in Israel. Since I got here, I am trying to give him more playing time. He is working hard to deserve it, playing with his heart and improving in every game. He is one of the future stars in Israeli basketball."

SHERF, ZVI

Maccabi Elite

"Congratulations to Barcelona for the win. They deserved to win the game tonight. We didn't succeed in something we wanted to do. Above all, we didn't manage to stop Basile, who had a great game. We now have Game 3 and both teams will prepare it well. We will do everything we can to cover the mistakes we made today. I respected Barcelona before and after the series: full respect. Up to this point, nobody can surprise anybody. Every team will go on court in Game 3 with all they have - players, shape and motivation to win. Of course, every team likes to play at home and that gives you some advantage. We will try to use this advantage to play better. Casspi is the youngest talented player in Israel. Since I got here, I am trying to give him more playing time. He is working hard to deserve it, playing with his heart and improving in every game. He is one of the future stars in Israeli basketball."

Players

ACKER, ALEX AXA FC Barcelona "We came out and executed very well tonight, and that was the biggest key of the game. We attacked them first and Basile was unstoppable, he really was. It is a big help for us: he also was in Game 1 and tonight he did even better. I think we can play at this level in Game 3 in Tel Aviv. We knew we could beat them, especially here on our home court. It is a matter of time. They execute very well, but at they have slips at times and we have to make the most out of it. Making it to my first Final Four would be a nice dream. I have been thinking about that ever since last year."
BASILE, GIANLUCA AXA FC Barcelona "I played a good game tonight, but it means nothing if the team loses. This win is very important for us and that's the key thing. We played tough defense tonight, found good options on offense, scoring more than 85 points. We now have to believe that we can win in Tel Aviv. It won't be easy, it is a difficult court, with diehard fans always pushing for Maccabi. We know what we have to do in Tel Aviv. If we play tough defense, rebound well and run the break, we can win there."
KASUN, MARIO AXA FC Barcelona "The only key to this game was defense. Defense and nothing else. You say that Basile got hot or that Pepe Sanchez got hot, but if they didn't make the shots, somebody else would. It was a hard game, I am happy that we won and now we are going to Tel Aviv to win another one. We definitely know we can win the series if we play in Tel Aviv the way we did tonight. Game 1 was the first time that we played Maccabi this year and we were surprised. We know have to focus on our defense and that way, we can make it to the Final Four."

ACKER, ALEX

AXA FC Barcelona

"We came out and executed very well tonight, and that was the biggest key of the game. We attacked them first and Basile was unstoppable, he really was. It is a big help for us: he also was in Game 1 and tonight he did even better. I think we can play at this level in Game 3 in Tel Aviv. We knew we could beat them, especially here on our home court. It is a matter of time. They execute very well, but at they have slips at times and we have to make the most out of it. Making it to my first Final Four would be a nice dream. I have been thinking about that ever since last year."

BASILE, GIANLUCA

AXA FC Barcelona

"I played a good game tonight, but it means nothing if the team loses. This win is very important for us and that's the key thing. We played tough defense tonight, found good options on offense, scoring more than 85 points. We now have to believe that we can win in Tel Aviv. It won't be easy, it is a difficult court, with diehard fans always pushing for Maccabi. We know what we have to do in Tel Aviv. If we play tough defense, rebound well and run the break, we can win there."

KASUN, MARIO

AXA FC Barcelona

"The only key to this game was defense. Defense and nothing else. You say that Basile got hot or that Pepe Sanchez got hot, but if they didn't make the shots, somebody else would. It was a hard game, I am happy that we won and now we are going to Tel Aviv to win another one. We definitely know we can win the series if we play in Tel Aviv the way we did tonight. Game 1 was the first time that we played Maccabi this year and we were surprised. We know have to focus on our defense and that way, we can make it to the Final Four."

BATISTA, ESTEBAN Maccabi Elite "We knew it would be very tough to beat Barcelona here, but not impossible. We did not manage to get a win here, so now have to go back home and win Game 3. We know we can do it, and we will do it. We must be more focused than tonight, try to stop Basile, who had a great game with 34 points, and improve in all that we failed to do well. We know we can beat Barcelona because we did it just two days ago."
VUJCIC, NIKOLA Maccabi Elite "It is not easy to win in Barcelona. They really played a good game, especially Basile, who was unbelievable tonight. We finished first in the Top 16 and have the homecourt advantage, so we hope to use it now. It doesn't mean anything if you don't win, so we now have to focus on Game 3. We managed to stop Lakovic tonight, but Basile took responsibility from unbelievable distances. Of course, that's the thing to improve: you cannot allow a guy to score 34 points on you. He had 34 points and gave confidence to the rest of the team."

BATISTA, ESTEBAN

Maccabi Elite

"We knew it would be very tough to beat Barcelona here, but not impossible. We did not manage to get a win here, so now have to go back home and win Game 3. We know we can do it, and we will do it. We must be more focused than tonight, try to stop Basile, who had a great game with 34 points, and improve in all that we failed to do well. We know we can beat Barcelona because we did it just two days ago."

VUJCIC, NIKOLA

Maccabi Elite

"It is not easy to win in Barcelona. They really played a good game, especially Basile, who was unbelievable tonight. We finished first in the Top 16 and have the homecourt advantage, so we hope to use it now. It doesn't mean anything if you don't win, so we now have to focus on Game 3. We managed to stop Lakovic tonight, but Basile took responsibility from unbelievable distances. Of course, that's the thing to improve: you cannot allow a guy to score 34 points on you. He had 34 points and gave confidence to the rest of the team."

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