Regular Season Game 6 - December 03, 2009 CET: 20:30 Local time: 20:30 - TIVOLI ARENA

Records

Ave.   Ave.
0-0 Final Four 0-0
0-0 Playoffs 0-0
0-0 Top 16 0-0
1-4 Regular Season 4-1
1-4 Overall 4-1

Referees

Crew Chief
HIERREZUELO, DANI, Spain
Referee
PEREZ PIZARRO, EMILIO, Spain
Umpire
SHULGA, BORIS, Ukraine

Team Stats

Ave.   Ave.
74.4 Points 80.8
28.4 Rebounds 34.4
9.0 O. Rebounds 8.6
19.4 D. Rebounds 25.8
12.0 Assists 15.6
5.8 Steals 10.8
0.8 Blocks 5.0
15.6 Turnovers 16.0
55.4 % 2PT 55.1 %
35.0 % 3PT 38.1 %
65.8 % FT 71.3 %
63.8 Index 91.0

Player Stats

Ave.   Ave.
24.5 / Walsh Points 14.8 / ANDERSON, ALAN
4.2 / BAVCIC, EDIN Rebounds 5.4 / Lampe
2.2 / BAVCIC, EDIN OR 1.8 / Lampe
4.0 / Walsh DR 3.8 / Eidson
3.8 / BECIROVIC, SANI Assists 4.2 / WISNIEWSKI, ANDREW
1.5 / Walsh Steals 2.4 / Eidson
0.2 / GOLUBOVIC, VLADIMIR Blocks 2.0 / Fischer
3.2 / BECIROVIC, SANI Turnovers 3.0 / Eidson
76.5 % / SLOKAR, UROS 2PT 100.0 % / Limonad
60.0 % / KLOBUCAR, JAKA 3PT 100.0 % / Limonad
100.0 % / Djordjevic FT 90.0 % / Lampe
26.0 / Walsh Index 14.0 / WISNIEWSKI, ANDREW

THE TAKE

Although the standings say they are in last and first place, respectively, expect Union Olimpija hosting Maccabi Electra in Ljubljana, Slovenia on Thursday to be a most interesting battle. Maccabi (4-1) has control of Group C thanks to potent offense, great rebounding and an ability to turn on jets to take over some games. Olimpija (1-4) is coming off just its first win of the season, but that command performance against Lottomatica Roma - despite missing the Euroleague's leading scorer due to injury - was the kind of victory that can ignite a team. This week, Olimpija will have that top scorer, three-point ace Matt Walsh, back in uniform. He forms a unique tandem with veteran Sani Becirovic, author of a great game against his former team Roma last week. With those two on the ball for Olimpija, offense and tempo should not be problems for the hosts. Defense, however, remains a question, as Olimpija gives up plenty of points while Maccabi is among the Euroleague leaders in producing them. The perimeter quartet of Alan Anderson, Andrew Wisniewski, Chuck Eidson and Doron Perkins makes Maccabi continually lethal no matter which of them steps on the floor. On the inside, Maciej Lampe, Stephane Lasme, D'or Fischer and David Bluthenthal give head coach Pini Gershon a range of options - both offensively and defensively - that is hard to match. To try to do so, Olimpija will turn to one key inside big man, veteran Uros Slokar, to lead several younger ones, like Gasper Vidmar, Edin Bavcic and Vladimir Golubovic. Slokar, though a top-five Euroleague two-point shooter, percentage-wise, might serve best to start the game as a passer, considering Maccabi's shot-blocking talents and the presence of his team’s scorers, Walsh and Becirovic, on the wing. Olimpija head coach Jure Zdovc will definitely want to slow the game, draw fouls and get back early on defense. How Olimpija plans to handle the often unstoppable Anderson or match up with Eidson, who is strong and versatile, will be keys for the hosts. Maccabi will likely try to shut down Olimpija’s shooters on the perimeter, but then must worry about Becirovic and Saso Ozbolt driving. Becirovic is a master at drawing fouls. Zdovc will have his young big men under orders to make defensive rebounds a priority so that his guards can manage the tempo. If Maccabi gets good shots, however, the visitors have enough firepower that only another big night by Walsh might be enough for Olimpija to challenge another group leader. Both teams cuaght each other earlier than most when Maccabi won their season opener almost six weeks ago. The rematch will be a measure of how far each has come since.

REFEREES: Daniel Hierrezuelo, Emilio Perez Pizarro, Boris Shulga


GAME NOTES

Union Olimpija

Matt Walsh leads the league this season with 24.5 points per game and is tied for the lead with 15 three-pointers made.

Sani Becirovic scored a season-high 24 points last week against Lottomatica Roma.

Uros Slokar is last in the league among qualified players in three-point shooting will none made in 13 tries.

Gasper Vidmar is last in the league in free throw shooting among qualified players with just 3 made in 14 tries for 21.4 %.

Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv

Maccabi leads the league in steals (10.8 spg.) and blocked shots (5 bpg.) per game.

Alan Anderson has made 11 consecutive free throws over his past two games.

Andrew Wisniewski scored a season-high 20 points last week against Maroussi.

Maciej Lampe scored a Euroleague career-high 19 points last week against Maroussi.

Stephane Lasme has blocked a shot in five straight games.

D’Or Fischer leads the league in blocked shots per minute (0.13 blocks per minute).
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
Euroleague.net

Quotes Head Coaches

ZDOVC, JURE
Union Olimpija
"If we want to keep on dreaming about making the Top 16, we have to beat Maccabi. No math needed, only a win is good enough. I am sure that with all players concentrated and the help of our fans we can beat this European giant. Too bad that Ilievski is still out, he will not be playing Maccabi for sure, and he may be out even for the rest of the season du to the nature of his injury. Thankfully, Matt Walsh is back with us after his ankle problems, so I hope we are prepared for this duel."
GERSHON, PINI
Maccabi Electra
"Not everybody knows but the toughest gyms to play on the road in the Euroleague are the ones in Belgrade, Zagreb and most certainly Ljubljana. The fans are very devoted to the game and the players play with great intensity for 40 minutes. After Olimpija beat Roma last week they are back in the Top 16 race which makes every game even more important, and I have no doubt they will do whatever it takes to give us the most difficult time. Maccabi never had walks in the park in Ljubljana, and I don't expect anything different this time. We are in a good position in the group, but we can't allow ourselves to rest. One accidental loss can ruin everything we built in the first round, so we must stay in attack mode and not under estimate any team, no matter what happened in the first game."

Players

KLOBUCAR, JAKA
Union Olimpija
"Maccabi showed us their level in the first game, so we know what to expect. We will have to play aggressive from minute one, like we did against Lottomatica but not against Partizan in the last Adriatic League game. Only giving our maximum we will be able to beat Maccabi. I hope that the Tivoli stands are packed because in important games like this one, the crowd can be the difference between the win or the loss."
BLU, DAVID
Maccabi Electra
"It's going to be a completely different story than the game we played them in Tel Aviv. It's a Euroleague game. They are a good team. I played there before, it's a tough gym to play in. For sure they are going to come with their best game. I'm happy I'm able to help my team more lately. I think I'm in the right places and in the right times sometimes making my shot. I'm just trying to be patient and let the game come to me."
Alan Anderson - Maccabi ElectraMaccabi Electra came alive late to put away Union Olimpija 65-82 at Tivoli Arena in Ljubljana, Slovenia, and remain in first place in Group C. The hosts led by 2 early in the fourth quarter and were down 2 with four minutes left before the Israeli champs reeled off 12 unanswered points – 7 of them by Doron Perkins – to take the win and improve to 5-1. Maccabi hosts Caja Laboral in a showdown for the group lead next week. Olimpija fell to 1-5 – two wins behind fourth place Lottomatica Roma – and faces a crucial contest at Maroussi BC in Week 7. The game didn’t look like it would come down to a tense fourth quarter after Alan Andeson and David Bluthenthal led Maccabi on a 0-15 second-quarter run – during which Olimpija head coach Jure Zdovc was ejected – but the hosts regained their cool and fought back to take the lad in the second half. However a sub-par shooting night hurt and Olimoija was unable to convert in the closing minutes, when Perkins led the visitors to the win. Anderson led Maccabi with 15 points – all scored in the first half. Bluthenthal added 14, while Chuck Eidson padded the stats sheet with 13 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists. D’Or Fischer had 12 points and Perkins tallied 11 points and 9 rebounds. Vladimir Golubovic led the home team with 14 points, 13 rebounds and 2 blocked shots, Saso Ozbolt also scored 14 and Matt Walsh and Sani Becirovic netted 12 apiece in defeat.

Maccabi won the opening tip and went inside to Maciej Lampe for the game;s first points. Becirovic got Olimpija going at the other end with a three-pointer. Ozbolt fed Gasper Vidmar inside for an easy basket, but Maccabi rebounded as Eidson found a cutting Stephane Lasme for a two-handed slam and Anderson stripped Becirovic and sailed in for a dunk. Uros Slokar put the hosts up from the line and Becirovic tacked on 2 more before Maccabi got a jumper from Anderson and another from Fischer for a 9-10 edge. The teams stayed close as Golubovic’s free throws were erased by another Fischer jumper. Ozbolt nailed a three and Walsh darted in for a layup as Olimpija mounted a 4-point edge. Anderson climbed for a layup at the other end, but Golubovic made his presence felt with a basket on the offensive glass. Anderson went to the line to score his seventh point of the quarter, but Golubovic’s slam stretched the hosts’ lead to 5 with a slam. Eidson got on the board with a pair of free throws and Guy Pnini came off the bench for a triple to tie the game at 20-20 after 10 minutes.

Ozbolt opened the second quarter with a triple and Slokar nailed his first three of the season to double the lead to 6. Doron Perkins scored on the break and Bluthenthal drilled a three-pointer as Maccabi quickly closed the gap. Fischer kept the Maccabi momentum going with a block on Slokar and then Anderson scored and drew a foul from Walsh. Zdovc argued the call and was ejected after pounding on the scorekeeper’s table. After the free throws, Pawel Kikowski committed an unsportsmanlike foul on Anderson, who put his team up 7 from the line. After Olimpija came up empty on offense, Anderson drove again, missed this time, but Bluthenthal followed up for a tip-in to extend the run to 0-15. After an Olimpija timeout, Becirovic ended a four-minute scoring drought, but was also called for a technical after saying something to the referee. Walsh drained a long three to the delight of the local crowd, but Pnini kept Maccabi in control. Walsh hit a second three from the top of the key to get his team within 4. A basket by Eidson and 2 free throws by Anderson gave the visitors a cushion before Fischer hit a jumper to make it 36-44 at halftime.

Saso Ozbolt - Union OlimpijaGolubovic opened the second half with a free throw and Walsh stole the ball from Anderson and fed Ozbolt for an easy layup, but Eidson slashed through the Olimpija defense for a slam. Golubovic and Walsh combined on baskets to bring the hosts within 3. Eidson fed Fischer for a two-handed jam to keep Olimpija at bay. However the home team continued to battle and free throws by Ozbolt and a second-chance basket by Golubovic lessened the gap to 2. Dusan Djordjevic unleashed a triple that gave Olimpija its first lead since early in the second quarter, 50-49. Fischer answered for the visitors, but Golubovic tied it from the line. Eidson on the offensive glass and Andrew Wisniewski from the line restored the visitors’ edge. Becirovic scored from the line and after Raviv Limonad made a jumper for Maccabi, Ozbolt flushed 2 free throws to get Olimpija within 55-58 at the end of the quarter.

Becirovic drilled a long jumper and Ozbolt floated in a runner as Olimpija took the lead again early in the fourth quarter. The home defense forced Maccabi into a 24-second violation, but did not take advantage and Maccabi regained the lead on a Bluthenthal triple. Perkins fed Fischer to stretch the lead, but Golubovic tipped in his own miss to keep Olimpija close. Wisniewski scored in transition to get to 61-65 midway through the fourth quarter. Walsh chipped at the lead from the line before Wisniewski beat everyone downcourt for a layup. Perkins further extended the lead from the line and Eidson all but killed Olimpija’s hopes with a triple that made it 63-72 with less that three minutes remaining. Perkins added 3 free throws on the next two possessions and after Bluthenthal blocked Becirovic, Perkins finished with a slam to complete a 0-12 run that won the game for Maccabi.
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Euroleague.net
Referees: HIERREZUELO, DANI (ESP), PEREZ PIZARRO, EMILIO (ESP), SHULGA, BORIS (UKR)
Attendance: 5500
By Quarter1234
Union Olimpija20161910
Maccabi Electra20241424
End of Quarter1234
Union Olimpija20365565
Maccabi Electra20445882
Head coach: ZDOVC, JURE
Union Olimpija
# Player Min Pts 2FG
M-A
3FG
M-A
FT
M-A
Rebounds As St To Bl Fouls PIR
O D T Fv Ag Cm Rv
5 SUTULOVIC, MILORAD DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
7 BECIROVIC, SANI 23:18 12 2/11 1/5 5/6 1 1 2 2   4   1 3 4 -2
8 KLOBUCAR, JAKA 10:56   0/1 0/2     1 1   1 1     4 2 -4
9 BAVCIC, EDIN 23:01 3 1/3 0/1 1/2 1 3 4           3 1 1
10 DJORDJEVIC, DUSAN 22:48 3 0/1 1/2         3 1       2   3
11 KIKOWSKI, PAWEL 1:45     0/1                   3 1 -3
12 ALEKSANDROV, NEMANJA 4:54     0/1     1 1                
13 VIDMAR, GASPER 6:08 2 1/1       3 3 1   1     1   4
15 SLOKAR, UROS 19:03 5 0/2 1/4 2/2   2 2 2   1   1 1 2 3
21 GOLUBOVIC, VLADIMIR 26:54 14 5/9   4/7 7 6 13     2 2   3 6 23
31 OZBOLT, SASO 31:40 14 2/4 2/6 4/4   2 2 2 2 2   1 3 4 12
44 WALSH, MATT 29:33 12 2/3 2/7 2/2   4 4 3 1       3 2 13
Team           2 2 4           2   2
Totals 200:00 65 13/35 7/29 18/23 11 25 36 13 5 11 2 3 28 22 52
37.1% 24.1% 78.3%
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: GERSHON, PINI
Maccabi Electra
# Player Min Pts 2FG
M-A
3FG
M-A
FT
M-A
Rebounds As St To Bl Fouls PIR
O D T Fv Ag Cm Rv
5 LIMONAD, RAVIV 2:39 2 1/1               1     1    
6 SHARP, DERRICK DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
7 WISNIEWSKI, ANDREW 32:33 6 2/4 0/3 2/2   5 5 2         3 3 8
8 PERKINS, DORON 23:48 11 3/8 0/1 5/6 1 8 9 2 1 1   1 1 7 20
9 GREEN, YANIV 2:17                              
10 PNINI, GUY 10:08 5 1/3 1/3     2 2 1         2   2
11 ANDERSON, ALAN 18:44 15 4/6   7/11 2 4 6 2 1 5 1   3 7 18
12 LASME, STEPHANE 5:14 2 1/3               1     4   -5
13 EIDSON, CHUCK 32:08 13 3/7 1/3 4/6 2 7 9 6   2     1 5 22
14 LAMPE, MACIEJ 11:01 2 1/4                     1 1 -1
15 BLU, DAVID 27:47 14 1/4 3/5 3/4 1 5 6 1 1   1   3 3 17
21 FISCHER, D'OR 33:41 12 6/8     1 3 4 1     1 1 3   12
Team           1   1     2         -1
Totals 200:00 82 23/48 5/15 21/29 8 34 42 15 3 12 3 2 22 26 92
47.9% 33.3% 72.4%
This game is not yet played

Head Coaches

ZDOVC, JURE
Union Olimpija
"Nothing can excuse our loss. In the last quarter we played too individually. We didn't pass the ball enough, while Maccabi, with so many experienced players, was able to punish that kind of play. The final difference doesn't have anything to do with what happened on the court."
GERSHON, PINI
Maccabi Electra
“It wasn’t great basketball, but I’m excited because I broke a jinx and won here for the first time since 1991. We got Becirovic into foul trouble early, but we missed shots in the paint and Anderson turned the ball over in the second quarter. When I took him out, the team played better and there were fewer turnovers. Perkins didn’t start well, but finished outstanding. I though Maciej Lampe would score 20 points, but he made two or three mistakes on defense. It’s always better to play against a team that has something to lose. They made most of their mistakes trailing by 4. Their players took bad shots and turned the ball over.”

Players

SLOKAR, UROS
Union Olimpija
"It was a tough game which we had to win, but there was so much pressure that we couldn't pull it off. Many things happened during the 40 minutes, but the truth is that Maccabi played with experience in clutch moments, and we weren't able to put the ball in the basket."
FISCHER, D'OR
Maccabi Electra
“It was definitely a hard game. You need to know how to come off the bench to give all you can and that’s what I do. The coach said at halftime that it was going to be a battle in the second half. I’m glad we rose up to the challenge.”
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