Ettore Messina's men have now won four of their last five games
Milan stands strong against Maccabi, 98-86
EA7 Emporio Armani Milan continued its recent improvement by claiming a third consecutive home win, beating Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv 98-86 to leave the Israeli team still winless on the road. Milan improves to 5-6, while Maccabi is well off the playoff pace at 3-8.
The first half was closely fought with 11 lead changes before a flurry of three-pointers gave Milan a 50-43 interval lead. The hosts led all the way after that, as Maccabi kept battling before running out of steam. Zach LeDay led Milan with 22 points, while Nikola Mirotic added 20. Armoni Brooks scored 16, and Nico Mannion had 12 points and 8 assists. Jaylen Hoard paced Maccabi with 20 points, while Rokas Jokubaitis guided the offense with 9 points and 10 assists. Roman Sorkin scored 14 and Levi Randolph added 13.
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Hoard scored three early baskets and Jokubaitis added a triple for a 2-9 Maccabi lead, with Milan failing to score a field goal in the first four minutes. Mirotic and Brooks got the hosts moving from long range for a 10-10 tie. A series of lead changes followed as Randolph netted 5 points for Maccabi while the returning Shavon Shields and Brooks scored in penetration. Neno Dimitrijevic scored consecutive baskets, but Maccabi debutant Marial Shayok hit from deep and added a long two-pointer for a 20-22 lead after 10 minutes.
Two more baskets for Dimitrijevic and Sorkin’s triple delivered more lead changes, before Maccabi free throws were cancelled out by Mirotic and Fabien Causeur buckets for a 30-30 tie. Wenyen Gabriel and Randolph were on target, but Shields hit a jumper and Mirotic added a pair of triples to give Milan a 41-37 lead. John DiBartolomeo and Nico Mannion traded deep strikes, and Sorkin’s three-point play was followed by further three-balls from Brooks and LeDay, making it 50-43 at the break.
Brooks and Randolph exchanged jumpers to start the third before Brooks added another pair of triples for a 58-47 lead. LeDay and Hoard traded two-pointers, then LeDay sank another couple of Milan three-pointers to make it 68-54. Jokubaitis kept pushing Maccabi and a couple of Sorkin scores brought the deficit into single digits, and Shayok’s jumper made it 79-70 with 10 minutes remaining.
DiBartolomeo’s triple pulled Maccabi closer, but Causeur’s floater settled the hosts. David DeJulius and Randolph made it 81-77 before LeDay came up with a big bucket in transition. Hoard scored off the glass but the inspirational LeDay responded from deep, 86-79, and Mannion’s driving layup stretched the gap as Maccabi’s offense ran dry at the worst time. The scoring was evenly shared after that, with smooth finishes from Mirotic and Causeur ensuring Milan wasn’t threatened.