Maccabi players are sure: They would've won series vs PAO with Baldwin / News - Basketnews.com

Both Lorenzo Brown and Bonzie Colson were sure - if Wade Baldwin was healthy, Maccabi would've won the playoff series against Panathinaikos.

Credit: Srdjan Stevanovic/GettyImages Credit Srdjan Stevanovic/GettyImages

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv pushed the EuroLeague playoff series against Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens to Game 5 playing the vast majority of it without Wade Baldwin IV, who was seen as one of the MVP candidates this season.

Free throws this season

78%15,1Points made:15,1Accuracy:77,8%Place in standings:2Record max:23Record min:6Most made FTs:Wade Baldwin IVTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

Baldwin played almost 26 minutes in Game 1 but picked up a hamstring injury in the fourth quarter that sidelined him in Games 2 and 3. The star guard strived to return to the court for Game 4 in the Aleksandar Nikolic Hall in Belgrade, Serbia but had to exit the game early after having re-aggravated the injury.

Without Baldwin, much of the attention went to Lorenzo Brown, who was tasked to be the main ball handler throughout the entire series.

"It hurts to lose. It hurts to lose like after this long season that we had this year, fighting for whatever we had to fight for this year. Travel, all of that, moving our families around," Brown told Moses Barda from ONE after Game 5. "I feel like we gave it a good fight to push this team to Game 5 without our best player on this team. It just hurts. It hurts to lose this way and go home like this."

For the second year in a row, Maccabi play as underdogs and make it to Game 5 but ultimately lose. Last year, it happened against AS Monaco. This time, it was against Panathinaikos.

Brown is certain - had Baldwin been with the team, Maccabi would've enjoyed an entirely different outcome of the series.

"We were here this year. With Wade, it's a different story. He's 18-plus [points] a game, five or six assists a game. I feel like with him on the court, it's more relaxed for me. It takes a lot of attention from me as well and allows me to do my thing a little more. If he was on the court, it would've been a whole different story," Brown said.

Even though they lost, Brown revealed the trio of him, Baldwin, and Bonzie Colson are all staying with Maccabi for the next season,

"We're not going anywhere. We are here to keep fighting, get us a championship eventually. Hopefully, we make that next year," he said.

Colson, meanwhile, was direct with his answer about Baldwin's contribution. According to the forward, Maccabi would've won.

"We proved that we have a big heart and our determination, and it's very tough because we wanted to reach the Final Four," he told Tomer Givati from Israel Hayom.

"Of course," he said when asked whether Maccabi would've won the series with healthy Baldwin on the roster. "Wade is one of the best players in the EuroLeague. What he brings to the table is special, he contributes on both sides of the court. In addition, Wade is one of our leaders and we missed him."

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