Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv 
Barcelona Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv
Made/Att
Made/Att
Made/Att
DEF OFF TOT
CM RV
FV AG
Barcelona
Made/Att
Made/Att
Made/Att
DEF OFF TOT
CM RV
FV AG
Maccabi readies to clash with Barcelona in Belgrade on Thursday
Coming off of three wins in their previous four games, the yellows will face their biggest challenge so far this season. Cleveland: "We need to stay locked in"
Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv will look to build on its good form on Thursday evening, hosting Barcelona to an intriguing clash in Belgrade as part of the EuroLeague round 10 (9:05 PM Israel time, 2:05 PM ET). The yellows are coming off three wins in their past four contests, whice propelled them to the fourth position in the standings, while Barca are second with a 7-2 record.
For the Israeli champs, this will be the fourth consecutive “home” game in Aleksandar Nikolic Hall in Belgrade while a war still rages on in Israel. Maccabi defeated Fenerbahce 78:73 in their previous encounter, while the Catalans beat Valencia 70:74.
“We need to be concentrated during 40 minutes, play with the Maccabi pride and carry the support of the fans in our hearts”, said head coach Oded Kattash, “We have to make it feel like a home game and find the right energies. Barcelona are a quality team and if we will make mistakes, we will be punished. It’s a big challenge”.
Barcelona made a change on their bench this summer, parting ways with Maccabi legend Sarunas Jasikevicius and naming former Barca player Roger Grimau in his stead. Maccabi’s rivals let go of Nikola Mirotic and Cory Higgins, among others, but made statement additions in Jabari Parker and Willy Hernangomez.
So far, the blue-and-maroon squad are dominating, ranking third in points conceded with only 74 per game and second in total rebounds with just under 38. Their only two losses came away from home against Spanish competition, in Real Madrid and Baskonia.
“We just have to keep up our solid play, not get distracted and focus on the things that we do best – getting out and running in transition”, said James Webb III ahead of the game. Added Antonius Cleveland: “We need to stay locked in and play through one another”.
Maccabi loses a tight contest against Barcelona
A last second miss by Brown denied a lucrative victory, as the yellows fell 90:92 in Belgrade. Baldwin scored 19 points but did not finish the game
Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv went toe-to-toe with second-placed Barcelona on Thursday, but failed to earn a lucrative victory. A Lorenzo Brown attempt from long range missed, and the yellows lost 90-92 in Belgrade, falling to a 5-4 EuroLeague record.
The Israeli champs jumped to an early lead with great offensive execution, playing through center Josh Nebo (13 points). But Maccabi could not seperate themselves from Willy Hernangomez, Nicolas Laprovitola and the rest of the Blaugarana.
A 10-0 run by Barca to start the second half did not deter the Maccabees, who came back to force a back-and-forth final frame. Then, a second technical foul by Wade Baldwin – Maccabi’s leading scorer with 19 points – dealt him an early exit. It was a big blow considering the absence of injured guards Tamir Blatt and John DiBartolomeo.
Yet Maccabi could still grab a victory, with a Jasiel Rivero free throw giving the yellows a lead with under 90 seconds to go. Laprovitola (22 points) moved the needle back to Barcelona’s way, but Brown (12 points) had a chance to win the game for Maccabi – his deep shot from the left wing wedging between the rim and the board at the buzzer.
“It was a tough loss, it’s never nice to lose a close game”, said head coach Oded Kattash. “In games like these, you to be perfect in both sides of the court. We will watch film and try to get better”, chimed in Bonzie Colson, who added 11 points.
Maccabi will now prepare for a double week, with Real Madrid and Alba Berlin up next in visiting the yellow squad in Belgrade.
