JERUSALEM, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- A crushing third quarter, which included a 20-0 run, gave Israeli EuroLeague team Maccabi Tel Aviv a 90-85 away win over Champions League side Hapoel Jerusalem in the Israeli Super League classico on Friday.
The win raised the Israeli champions to a 9-3 win-loss record in second place, while State Cup holder Jerusalem remained with eight wins from 14 games.
The first 20 minutes were close, with a 22-20 Jerusalem lead at the end of the first quarter and a 45-45 tie at halftime, in front of a full house of 11,000 fans at the Pais Arena in Jerusalem.
The third quarter opened with a three-pointer by Jerusalem's point guard Speedy Smith. However, Maccabi responded with a 20-0 run, led by big guys Josh Nebo and Roman Sorkin, before storming to 73-57 at the end of the third quarter.
Guard Levi Randolph inspired Jerusalem to perform a 15-2 run, cutting the margin to 80-86 with 46 seconds to the final buzzer, but Maccabi kept the momentum to secure the victory.
Sorkin led Maccabi with 20 points, while Nebo contributed 12 points and nine rebounds for Maccabi. Randolph scored a game-high 33 points for Jerusalem. ■
