Dorsey dominates as Maccabi edges Real

Tyler Dorsey scored a career-high 30 points, including 5 points in the final minute, to help Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv hold off Real Madrid 86-84 for its second straight win at Menora Mivtachim Arena. The Israeli champs improved to 10-11 and dropped Real to 13-8 after its second straight loss. Dorsey missed just 3 shots in amassing his tally for Maccabi. Othello Hunter added 11 points and Scottie Wilbekin paired 9 points with 8 assists. Trey Thompkins shot 4 for 8 on three-pointers to lead Real with 20 points, Walter Tavares added 15 points and Alberto Abalde had 13 points and 7 assists. Real led by 12 in the first quarter, but Maccabi rallied back in the second. It was close late and Real had a final ball to tie or win it, but the Maccabi defense forced Jaycee Carroll into a turnover.

Tavares made an instant impact with a score on one end and a block at the other. Jeffery Taylor's fastbreak slam, a Thompkins triple and another Tavares score put the visitors ahead 2-11 and prompted an early Maccabi timeout. Back-to-back threes by Dragan Bender and Dorsey quickly trimmed the gap. Dorsey's second three made it 16-18, but Real continued to roll as Taylor dunked. A three by Abalde and 2 of them by Nicolas Laprovittola stretched the Real advantage to 19-31. A three by John DiBartolomeo and a buzzer-beating jumper by Hunter made it 24-33 after 10 minutes. Maccabi scored the first 11 points of the second quarter, tying the game on Dorsey's basket-plus-foul and taking its first lead, 35-33, on a DiBartolomeo jumper. Carroll came to the Real rescue with 7 quick points. Hunter split free throws to tie the score at 40-40 midway through the quarter. Thompkins heated up for Real and a Chris Jones layup settled the halftime score at 45-46.

The lead switched hands with each of the first four baskets of the second half until a Dorsey jumper tied it at 52-52. A three by Thompkins made it 54-55 midway through the quarter. Another Dosey jumper and a three by Bender gave Maccabi a slim cushion. After Tavares and Hunter traded baskets in the paint, Fabien Causeur scored 4 straight points to tie the game at 63-63. A three-pointer by Thompkins made it 63-66 at the end of the quarter. An Elijah Bryant triple evened the score early in the fourth quarter and it was 71-70 with 5 minutes remaining after Dorsey's fourth triple of the game. Wilbekin delivered his eighth assist and sank his second three-pointer, but Real remained hot in pursuit as Abalde's three-point play drew Real within 76-75. Tavares tied it twice and it was 78-78 with 2 minutes to play. Bryant's pull-up jumper was matched by a Tavares put-back. A three-point play by Dorsey gave the hosts an 83-80 edge with 34 seconds on the clock and - after Gabriel Deck made 2 free throws – Dorsey answered with a jumper with 11 seconds showing. Deck again made 2 free throws and Taylor was called for an unsportsmanlike foul on Hunter. However, the Maccabi center missed both. Then Wilbekin split free throws with 7.1 seconds left to make it 86-84. Yovel Zoosman pressured Carroll into a turnover on the final possession as Maccabi prevailed.

R.I.P Mike Karnon

Before tip-off, a moment of silence was held for former Maccabi press officer Mike Karnon, who passed away earlier Thursday. A beloved figure in Israeli sports, Karnon was an accomplished journalist and an expert on basketball, tennis and many other fields. He worked for Maccabi from 1994 until 2006, including at the 2004 EuroLeague Final Four in Tel Aviv, which Maccabi won in record fashion. He was 85.

Pivotal player

Tyler Dorsey has the finest game of his EuroLeague career with 30 points. He made 7 of 9 two-pointers, 4 of 5 threes and all 4 of his free throws. The guard also collected 4 rebounds, dished 3 assists, blocked a Walter Tavares shot and committed only 2 turnovers in compiling a performance index rating of 36. He scored the go-ahead basket with a three-point play with 34 seconds remaining and also buried a clutch jumper on the ensuing possession.

Telling numbers

In a game that came down to the last shot – and in which Real had a higher PIR than Maccabi, 90-96, the difference may have been a pair of offensive rebounds. The teams both posted 8 turnovers, too. Maccabi took 2 more two-pointers and 4 more threes than Real, which shot only 2 more free throws than the hosts. Maccabi outrebounded Real 27-25, with 8 offensive boards to Real's 6. Maccabi finished with 9 second-chance points and Real had only 5.

What's next?

Maccabi heads to Turkey for its next game in Round 22 against Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul on Tuesday, January 26. Real Madrid hosts Panathinaikos OPAP Athens the following evening.