Paris collected 19 offensive rebounds and scored 20 points off turnovers in the win
Paris blasts Maccabi, 81-93, for ninth straight win
Paris Basketball remained atop the standings in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague after tossing aside Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv 81-93 at Aleksandar Nikolic Hall in Belgrade on Tuesday night. Paris never trailed after the third minute and led by as many as 21 in the third quarter as it improved to 10-3 on the season. Maccabi lost for the fifth time in six games to fall to 4-9.
Freshly-crowned MVP of November TJ Shorts remained strong with 22 points and 8 assists to lead the winners. Maodo Lo contributed 19 points on 4-of-7 three-point shooting, Nadir Hifi netted 15 points and Tyson Ward 14. For Maccabi, Levi Randolph led the way with 14 points, Jaylen Hoard, Rokas Jokubaitis and Marial Shayok each scored 12 and Jasiel Rivero 10.
Game Videos
In his first game since earning the MVP of the month honor, Shorts rattled in a triple for the game’s first points. Randolph raced down the floor to get Maccabi on the scoreboard. Ward heated up with a post-up and a triple as Paris jumped in front 4-8. Lo came off the bench for a pair of threes and Hifi made two more that put the visitors up 10-22. Maccabi's reserves gave the team a push with Rivero scoring twice in an 8-0 run to get within 18-22 after 10 minutes.
Shorts, with 3 points and a dish to set up a Kevarrius Hayes dunk, continued to lead the Paris attack, while Rivero remained a force for Maccabi. After Rivero and Wenyen Gabriel both missed free throws, a three-pointer by Collin Malcolm gave Paris its first double-digit lead, 20-30. Lo's third three of the night made it 24-37. Bandja Sy continued the Paris three-point party and a layup by Hifi prompted a Maccabi timeout at 26-42. A jumper by Jokubaitis changed little as Hifi scored 5 quick points to further extend the lead. Maccabi captain John DiBartolomeo sank a put-back and a three-pointer and Randolph ended the half with a triple that made it 36-50.
Randolph made 3 free throws on the opening possession of the second half only to see Shorts fuel a 0-10 run, which Ward capped with a fastbreak alley-oop slam to push Paris’s lead above the 20-point mark. Shayok ended the Maccabi drought with the team’s first basket in 4 and a half minutes. Shayok soon drilled a three to make it 49-62. Jumpers by Randolph and Jokubaitis drew Maccabi within 10. After a leaner by Shorts, Jokubaitis scored to end the third quarter at 58-68.
Shayok got Maccabi within 8 with the first basket of the fourth quarter. Shorts restored the double-digit Paris advantage, though Roman Sorkin kept Maccabi afloat with a jumper and a put-back. Lo made a three on a three-chance possession and Shorts added a layup for a 69-82 cushion. Hoard scored 5 points to rally Maccabi again. It was 78-86 after Rivero's free throws with 3 minutes remaining. A Shorts-to-Ward alley-oop slam put Paris up 12 and all but sealed the outcome.