Zizic puts up career-high 24 points and clinches playoff berth for Maccabi / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: Seffi Magrisso - Getty Images Credit Seffi Magrisso - Getty Images

Playoffs chasing Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (15-11) keep rolling, winning their fourth straight contest at the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague by taking down the visiting LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (8-19) 94-73 (21-18, 21-19, 28-21, 24-15).

Player of the Game EFF 30 Ante Zizic Points 24 Accuracy 8-10 Rebounds 5 Assists 2

Matthew Strazel and Charles Kahudi revived ASVEL's offense with a couple of shots from deep (66-72) at the beginning of the last quarter.

However, Maccabi stormed back after that, going on a 9-0 run to increase the lead to 15 (81-66) with 5:37 remaining. Jalen Reynolds poured four straight free throws, a layup, and the game was decided (90-70).

Ante Zizic led Maccabi, tying his career-high 24 points (8/10 2PT, 8/10 FT) and adding 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 30 PIR.

"They are a good team, a very talented team,"Avi Even spoke after the win. "It took us time to get into the flow of the game, but we made it in the third and the fourth quarter and I’m happy with that."

On the opposing side, Charles Kahudi was the high-scorer for ASVEL, ending with 12 points (2/3 2PT, 2/3 3PT, 2/2 FT), 2 rebounds.

"The biggest difficulty we faced tonight was turnovers," admitted T.J. Parker. "There were way too many. We came back and I don’t think we deserved to lose by 20, but in the end, there were too many turnovers."

After a close first quarter, the French team initiated a 9-0 run at the start of the second period and the visitors were in front by 4 points (27-23), but later then James Nunnally and Ante Zizic combined 14 points and regained the lead for the hosts (39-35).

John DiBartolomeo's difficult 3-pointer gave Maccabi a five-point lead to finish the first half (42-37) after another very well-balanced period.

After halftime, both teams exchanged baskets, until Nunnally nailed his third 3-pointer, Zizic added 10 points alone and Maccabi built a double-digit lead (60-48).

Visitors tried to bounce back after TJ Parker‘s time out and created an 8-0 run to cut the deficit to 6 (64-58). Maccabi managed to answer with a few more buckets and finished off the third period with a comfortable lead (70-58).

Maccabi: Ante Zizic 24 (5 REB), James Nunnally 16 (3 REB, 3 AST, 3 STL), Jalen Reynolds 15 (4 REB), Scottie Wilbekin 14 (4 REB, 4 STL), Keenan Evans 10 (4 AST, 3 STL)

ASVEL: Charles Kahudi 12, Kostas Antetokounmpo 10, Chris Jones 9 (8 REB, 4 AST), James Gist 9

Highlights

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