Basketball / Premier League / Nahariya takes a bite out of Mac. TA
By Steve Klein
Adrian Pledger's basket with 30.6 seconds remaining last night completed a late fourth-quarter rally as Ironi Nahariya stunned Maccabi Tel Aviv - which continues its league struggles - 88-87. The loss left Maccabi level with Hapoel Holon on points, which decimated Ironi Ramat Gan 120-74, at the top of the Premier League standings.
Maccabi played lackadaisical throughout the game. It seemed like it was toying with its opponent, which had to work up a sweat to build a first-half lead that never exceeded six points, before wearing down Nahariya in the third quarter behind a barrage of deep shooting by David Bluthenthal.
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However, trailing by five with 5:18 to go at 81-76, Nahariya put its foot down and ratcheted up its defense several notches. It ran off four points and held Maccabi scoreless for two minutes. A pair of free throws by Bluthenthal and a fast-break layup by Will Bynum seemed to answer Nahariya's threat, but in fact the hosts were just getting started as they held Maccabi to just one basket in the final three-minute stretch.
With 50.1 ticks remaining, Nahariya recaptured the lead for the first time since the 8:54 mark of the third quarter, going ahead 86-85. Nikola Vujcic quickly put Maccabi back on top 87-86, but Avi Sukar found Pledger under the basket for the winning shot. Maccabi made one last desperate attempt, but Ido Kozikaro rebounded the errant shot, and though Sukar missed two free throws with 2.5 seconds left, Maccabi couldn't get a clean shot off at game's end.
Nahariya would have found itself in a deeper hole if it weren't for the antics of Otis Hill, who was unstoppable in the first half. He scored 11 of the team's 24 first-quarter points.
RISHON LETZION 84, GALIL ELYON 82 Rishon Letzion came to Galil Elyon yesterday on the heels of its triumphant upset last week over Hapoel Jerusalem, hoping to keep up the momentum that would get it out of the league cellar. Galil, meanwhile, was hoping its home loss last week was just an aberration. Last night, Rishon's latest addition, Omar Sneed, was the difference as it eked out an 84-82 victory. Galil was faster out of the gate, but Brandon Kurtz came off the bench midway in the first period to spark a seven-point run to give Rishon a 20-14 advantage.
Rotating in Doron Sheffer, Avi Ben-Chimol and Jawad Williams, Galil was able to tie it up at the half, 36-all. Oded Sha'ashua's outside game came together in the second half, with three trifectas helping Rishon to a slim 58-57 lead at the end of the third quarter and another pair of three-pointers staking the club to a 75-67 lead with just 2:38 to go. However, Galil stormed back to tie it at 80. Kurtz and Yogev Ohayon traded free throws, so the game was tied 82-all with nine seconds remaining. That's when Sneed found Ofir Farhi under the basket to seal the victory.
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