One of the great classics of European basketball, Maccabi-Olimpia, starts a key week to define the playoff grid. Olimpia is one win behind Olympiacos and three ahead of Efes, but still have five games to play. The Tel Aviv game (the next one will be in Istanbul against Efes) takes on enormous value at this point of the season. But the same is true for the opponent, who is 11-11, fighting for a post-season berth and with six games remaining in the schedule. It’s a difficult game: neither team played in the EuroLeague last week. Maccabi, however, has a double home round, the second game will be against Real Madrid: clearly, they are counting a lot on this week to improve their position and clinch a playoff berth. At home, Maccabi has won its last four games. The team is based on three key scorers, Scottie Wilbekin, with 6.8 per game is the player who attempts the most from three-point shots, James Nunnally and Ante Zizic, a center who has the highest average of two-point field goals made, 5.4 per game. To these must be added the overwhelming talent of Derrick Williams as a power forward. After more than three months, Olimpia will count on Shavon Shields for a EuroLeague game.
COACH ETTORE MESSINA – “Maccabi is an extremely athletic team that after the coaching change is trying to find motivations and strength to change its season, and in addition will benefit from the support of their fans as always when playing at home. It will therefore be a difficult game, in which we will need both offensively and defensively to raise the level of concentration and attention mostly to details in order to think about winning this game.”
MACCABI – Maccabi is fighting for a playoff’s berth thanks to its dominating home court. In Tel Aviv, it is 9-3. Over the course of the season, Maccabi replaced coach Ioannis Sfairopoulos by promoting his former assistant Avi Even. The team leader is the point guard Scottie Wilbekin, in his third season in Maccabi, who is scoring 16.0 points with 4.3 assists per game and is one of the most dangerous shooters in the competition (39.7 percent from three, 93.8 percent as a free throw shooter). Next to him, Maccabi features Keenan Evans (7.3 points and 3.6 assists per game) in a backcourt fortified by John DiBartolomeo (3.9 points per game) and Khyri Thomas, who came during the season. In the starting line-up, there are always Derrick Williams at power forward (9.8 points, 3.2 rebounds per game) and the Croatian center Ante Zizic, who is averaging 13.1 points, 5.5 rebounds per game and is making 67.5 percent of his two-pointers. James Nunnally started in a third of Maccabi’s games but at the small forward spot, he is the most employed and prolific player with 13.6 points per game, 3.5 rebounds, 38.3 percent from three. His backup is Angelo Caloiaro, who can also play as a power forward (3.5 points and 3.4 rebounds). Jalen Reynolds, who scores 8.3 points per game with 4.7 rebounds, comes off the bench as a center. Jake Cohen completes the rotation and is dangerous as a shooter. Kameron Taylor and Oz Blayzer are two other players who can find playing time.
HISTORY VS MACCABI – Olimpia have won two of its 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 record is 19-19. In Milan it is 13-5 for Olimpia. In Tel Aviv 14-4 for Maccabi. On a neutral court it is 2-0 for Olimpia. During the EuroLeague era, the all-time record is 12-9 for Maccabi, 8-3 for Olimpia in Milan. During the 2014 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. Early in the season, Olimpia prevailed over Maccabi 83-72. Devon Hall scored 16 points, Dinos Mitoglou added 14.
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. Gigi Datome has player at Fenerbahce alongside both James Nunnally and Derrick Williams.
GAME NOTES – Nicolò Melli and Nikola Kalinic of the Red Star are the only players with 27 starting lineup appearances so far in the EuroLeague. Melli is the fourth-best defensive rebounder in the EuroLeague with a 4.6 average and is sixth in total rebounds with 6.3. Melli is also seventh in steals, averaging 1.3 per game. Kyle Hines has surpassed 1,600 career rebounds and surpassed Ioannis Bourousis’ 1,603 to become the third-best ever. He is also 21 points shy of 3,000 for his career. In addition, he is six two-pointers away from the all-time first place that is currently held by Georgios Printezis of Olympiacos, who is also active. Sergio Rodriguez with an average of 4.8 assists is fifth overall in this category.
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