Zalgiris Kaunas (10-8) started the second part of the EuroLeague regular season with a defeat in Belgrade. Zalgiris lost 78-95 (19-26, 19-24, 18-21, 22-24) to Maccabi Tel Aviv (5-13).
Jaylen Hoard led the way on a game-high 23 points, while Rokas Jokubaitis added 16 against his former club. Roman Sorkin also chipped in with 18 points for Maccabi and Levi Randolph netted 10 as Maccabi dished out 24 assists and won the battle of the boards 36-26.
Deividas Sirvydis and Sylvain Francisco amassed 15 points each for the Lithuanian team and Lonnie Walker IV scored 14.
Following an even start, as the teams were tied 13-13 midway through the first quarter, Maccabi went on a crucial 9-0 run and never looked back. Jokubaitis and Hoard drained 11 points each in the opening period as Maccabi surged ahead 26-16 and then continued to torment the visitors in the second quarter.
Hoard and Jokubaitis combined for 29 points by halftime, with Maccabi dominating in all departments. The hosts sank 5 of 7 three-pointers in the first half and contained Zalgiris to 6 of 20, dishing out 24 assists while forcing 11 turnovers from the visitors.
Maccabi also nailed 15 of 24 shots from inside and its aggressive defense limited Zalgiris to 6 of 9, as the Lithuanian team was forced out of the paint by aggressive defense from Maccabi.
There seemed to be a glimmer of hope for Zalgiris after a ferocious Alen Smailagic dunk ignited a streak that slashed Maccabi’s lead to 67-55 late in the third quarter.
However, a 13-5 run from Maccabi vanquished any thoughts of a comeback as the Israel champs kept their feet on the gas in the fourth.
Maccabi led by as many as 23 points in the closing stages, 87-64, before a late rally by Zalgiris kept the final score remotely respectable for the visiting team.
