Baskonia needed a response — and found it in one overwhelming quarter.
After giving up 36 points in the opening period, Baskonia detonated for 40 in the third and held on late to beat Maccabi Tel Aviv 101-98 on April 7, 2026 at Fernando Buesa Arena. The win moves Baskonia forward from a 12-24 record, while Maccabi (18-17) let a fast start slip away.
How the game turned
Maccabi set the tone immediately, dropping 36 in the first quarter to take a 36-28 lead. The pace slowed in the second — a 17-16 Maccabi edge — but the visitors still carried momentum into halftime up 53-44.
Then came the pivot point: Baskonia’s 40-point third quarter. They flipped a nine-point halftime deficit into an 84-72 advantage in ten minutes, outscoring Maccabi 40-19 and effectively rewriting the game’s script. Maccabi had one last push in the fourth (26 points), but Baskonia’s cushion — and their ability to generate quality looks — held up to the final horn.
Ball movement decided it
In a three-point game, the cleanest separator was creation. Baskonia finished with 24 assists to Maccabi’s 14, a gap that showed up most clearly during the third-quarter avalanche. Baskonia consistently turned possessions into organized advantages, while Maccabi’s offense skewed more toward individual solutions as the lead vanished.
Quarter-by-quarter snapshot
- Q1: Maccabi 36, Baskonia 28
- Q2: Maccabi 17, Baskonia 16 (Maccabi led 53-44 at half)
- Q3: Baskonia 40, Maccabi 19 (Baskonia led 84-72 after three)
- Q4: Maccabi 26, Baskonia 17 (final: 101-98)
What it means going forward
For Baskonia, this was a reminder of what their offense can look like when the ball moves: a high-assist night paired with a massive scoring quarter that changed the game’s geometry. For Maccabi, the loss stings because the blueprint was there early — 53 first-half points and a nine-point halftime lead — but the third-quarter collapse left too much ground to recover, even with a strong late push.