Maccabi Fails to Emulate Zvezda's Comeback: 'Pride of Israel' Slips Ahead of Belgrade Trip

The "Pride of Israel" will head into their upcoming clash against Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet (EuroLeague Round 8 fixture on Tuesday, October 27) in somber spirits after suffering a 93-90 defeat (16-17, 29-17, 21-21, 16-27, 11-8) to Maccabi Rishon LeZion in Round 3 of the Israeli league on Saturday.

Rishon delivered an offensive clinic in the second quarter, pouring in 29 points while conceding just 17 to build a commanding 11-point lead at halftime.

Maccabi Rishon stretched their lead to as much as 20 points in the third period, but the "Pride of Israel" managed to trim the deficit back to 11 before the final quarter. Oded Kattash's men then completed a full comeback in the fourth, with Roman Sorkin scoring a layup with 12 seconds remaining to level the score at 82-82 and force overtime.

Maccabi Tel Aviv briefly edged ahead on a few occasions in the extra session, but their namesakes from Rishon held their nerve down the stretch to clinch their first victory of the season.

Interestingly, Crvena Zvezda endured a similar battle against Igokea in the ABA League around the same time. The red-and-whites also found themselves facing a heavy deficit, but unlike Maccabi, they managed to pull off a dramatic comeback victory sparked by a brilliant late flourish from Chima Moneke.

VIDEO: Here's why Zvezda didn't deserve to win this derby!