There is no game richer in meaning than the one that awaits Olimpia and Maccabi Tel Aviv, divided and united at the same time by a rivalry that is thirty years deep and has experienced many epic moments. Olimpia enters this third EuroLeague game with a 2-0 record and is about to face a difficult stretch of three consecutive home games, including the first “double round week” of the season. Last year, Olimpia was able to build a good portion of its season with its efficiency in “double” weeks which represent a key factor of any European season. Maccabi is coming from a home defeat to Red Star, but last Saturday it clearly won its Israeli league game against Hapoel Haifa (Keenan Evans was the top scorer with 12 points) and have a hugely talented offensive team led by Scottie Wilbekin (23.0 points per game with an unreal 62.5 percent from three) who will test the Olimpia defense, capable of allowing less than 70 points per game in the first two outings, and the Olimpia point guards, Malcolm Delaney who in Vitoria played at remarkable levels and Sergio Rodriguez, 12.5 points per game in the first two games and six assists in Vitoria. Troy Daniels is still out. However, Devon Hall has done very well so far, averaging 11.5 per game in his first two career EuroLeague games, and is second on the team behind Shields and second of all rookies behind Kazan’s John Brown for minutes played
COACH ETTORE MESSINA – “Maccabi is always a team very well-organized by Coach Sfairopoulos, so we will be challenged tactically by their switching defense or pick and roll execution. We’ll need to face those challenges with a lot patience and poise for the length of the game. As it is often the case in a EuroLeague game, moving the ball and rebounding will be the key factor in our attempt to win the game.”
GIGI DATOME – “Every game is different, the season has just started and all the teams are facing some difficulties. Maccabi is a very dangerous team, with some players looking to be in great shape and, as it often the case during the EuroLeague season, we didn’t have much time to prepare. When we can use our physicality, we can make scoring against us a little complicated and then we are also more fluid offensively, but we are at the beginning and we need to work a lot and improve in many areas.”
MACCABI – After beating Bayern at home in the opening game, Maccabi lost to the Red Star in Tel Aviv. The team leader is point guard Scottie Wilbekin, in his third season in Maccabi, who is averaging 23.0 points per game. Compared to last season, in addition to Coach Sfairopoulos, there are five players returning, the point guard John DiBartolomeo, the forward Oz Blayzer, the other combo forward Angelo Caloiaro and the center Ante Zizic who, however, is injured and has been replaced by Mathias Lessort (16 points in 18 minutes in his first game against Red Star). Strong forward Jake Cohen is new, but he played five seasons for Maccabi before this one. Among the novelties stand guard Keenan Evans, coming from Hapeol Haifa, the other guard Kameron Taylor, the small forward James Nunnally, who played four seasons in the EuroLeague including three at Fenerbahce, and the former choice number 2 of the 2011 NBA draft, Derrick Williams, to the fourth EuroLeague team in four seasons after Bayern, Fenerbahce and Valencia. Center Jalen Reynolds also played for Maccabi two seasons ago before moving to Bayern Munich and returning for this season.
THE REFEREES – Sasa Pukl (Slovenia), Emilio Perez (Spain), Tomislav Hordov (Croatia).
HISTORY – Olimpia have won two of tits three European Cups by beating Maccabi Tel-Aviv in the championship game. In Lausanne on April 2, 1987, the game finished 71-69 for Milan, and the coach was Dan Peterson. A year later, in Ghent, it finished 90-84 again for Olimpia in the Final Four’s championship game. The coach was Franco Casalini. Overall, the two teams have met 37 times and the receord is favorable to Maccabi 19-18. In Milan it is 12-5 for Olimpia. In Tel Aviv 14-4 for Maccabi. On a neutral court it is 2-0 for Olimpia. In the EuroLeague era the all-time record is 12-8 for Maccabi, 7-3 for Olimpia in Milan. In 2014, in the playoffs, Maccabi prevailed 3-1 in the series and eventually won the title in Milan. Last year, Olimpia broke a streak that started in 1987 by winning 86-85 in Tel Aviv after an overtime with Malcolm Delaney’s winning jumper.
THE MACCABI CONNECTION – James Nunnally played for Olimpia during the 2018/19 season. In the EuroLeague he appeared in 10 games averaging 14.1 points per game. Jalen Reynolds played in the playoffs against Olimpia while at Bayern Munich last year. Maccabi coach Ioannis Sfairopoulos has coached at Olympiacos for Olimpia general manager Christos Stavropoulos.
GAME NOTES – Shavon Shields (who in his last 21 EuroLeague games has reached the double digit 20 times) after exceeding 500 points for Olimpia jersey, has overtaken both Kevin Punter and Piero Montecchi in the “all-international competition” league scorers and now he is in 15th place. Vitoria’s 10 rebounds are his second-best performance after the 11 he grabbed last year in Tel Aviv. Kaleb Tarczewski has scored 279 two-point field goals in his career. The all-time leader in the EuroLeague for Olimpia is Vlado Micov with 281. Sergio Rodriguez has scored 125 threes for Olimpia and is now tied for second all-time with Curtis Jerrells. Rodriguez has scored at least one three in 11 consecutive games. Malcolm Delaney will start the game 13 points away from 1,500 for his career and three steals away from 100. Nicolò Melli has exceeded 400 points for Olimpia in the EuroLeague and entered the Top 20-scorer list of the club by overtaking Mindaugas Kuzminskas.
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