JERUSALEM, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- Israeli champions Maccabi Tel Aviv beat Russian side CSKA Moscow 90-80 in the 13th round of the Euroleague basketball on Thursday evening.
The Israeli hosts achieved their ninth victory so far, while CSKA remained with eight wins out of 13 games.
About 11,000 fans at the Menorah Mivtachim Arena in the coastal city of Tel Aviv saw the Russian team dominate the first quarter, ending at 29-20.
CSKA's point guard Mike James led his teammates to a 14-point lead in the 14th minute (44-30).
The Israeli team cut the gap to 4, thanks to Scottie Wilbekin's points and a 12-2 run, but CSKA increased again to 52-45 at halftime.
An impressive comeback, including a 13-0 run, gave Maccabi a 62-60 lead in the 29th minute, and 66-64 at the end of the third quarter.
The home team widened their lead early in the fourth quarter (72-64), but James put CSKA back to the game, 80-80 with 2:37 minutes to go.
Maccabi's aggressive defense kept the Russians at 80 points and secured the important home victory.
Wilbekin scored a team-high 22 points. His teammate Othello Hunter added 20 points and 7 rebounds.
James led CSKA scorers with 22 points. His teammate Kyle Hines added 14 points.
Maccabi will play their next game in Russia against Zenit Saint Petersburg on December 17, while CSKA will host Red star Belgrade the next day.
