Crvena Zvezda 
Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv Crvena Zvezda
Made/Att
Made/Att
Made/Att
DEF OFF TOT
CM RV
FV AG
Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv
Made/Att
Made/Att
Made/Att
DEF OFF TOT
CM RV
FV AG
Maccabi closes the first round at Crvena Zvezda
Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv concludes the first round of the EuroLeague season with an away game against Crvena Zvezda at the Belgrade Arena on Friday at 9:30 PM. Oded Kattash’s team wants to end the double week on a sweet note, hoping that a victory will change the momentum heading into the second half of the season.
The injured Jasiel Rivero will continue to watch the game from the sidelines, while Rafi Menco has returned to Israel for personal reasons. Wenyen Gabriel, who was cut on his hand at the start of the last game against Baskonia and did not return to the court, is doubtful for the game.
The team of former Maccabi coach Ioannis Sfairopoulos built an impressive roster over the summer, consisting of veteran EuroLeague stars, emerging names in European basketball, and a lot of local talent. However, so far, Zvezda has been struggling with inconsistency. Alongside big wins against teams like Fenerbah?e, Olympiacos, Paris, and Monaco, they have also suffered unexpected losses and blowouts, such as in the last round against Anadolu Efes. The Serbs arrives with an 8-8 record, which is enough for 11th place in the standings.
The main threat for Maccabi comes from the Serbian big man, Filip Petrusev, who is on loan from Olympiacos. The talented forward-center (2.11 meters) is averaging 14.6 points and nearly 6 rebounds per game, and also poses a threat from beyond the arc. Veteran center Joel Bolomboy returned this week from injury and in the five games he’s participated in this season, he has averaged 11 points and 8.6 rebounds per game.
The Serbs are expected to miss the playmaking of the great Milos Teodosic, who is suffering from a hip injury. Even without him, Sfairopoulos has a strong guard line-up, including Nemanja Nedovic, Isaiah Canaan, Cody Miller-McIntyre, and Yago Dos Santos.
18 encounters between the two teams have taken place in the EuroLeague era so far, with Zvezda leading the head-to-head record 11-7. However, Maccabi enters the game after winning the last meeting between them, which took place in the same arena.
Maccabi's comeback falls short in 73-81 defeat to Zvezda
Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv erased a 15-point deficit, but failed to complete the comeback, suffering a 73-81 loss to Crvena Zvezda. The yellows concluded the first round of the EuroLeague with a 4-13 record, and will look to bounce back in the second half of the season.
In the absence of injured Centers Jasiel Rivero and Wenyen Gabriel, Roman Sorkin once again stepped up with a 21-point performance. But the Serbs, led by fomer Maccabist Giannis Sfairoploulos, frustrated the yellows’ back court all game long, which made a difference.
Zvezda went into the locker rooms with a 48-33 lead at the break, but Maccabi came roaring back to begin the second half. Led by Sorkin, Jaylen Hoard and Levi Randolph, the Israeli champs orchestrated a 17-0 run to take the lead. However, the hosts quickly took control back control over proceedings and never trailed again, with Joel Bolomboy leading with 17 points.
On Sunday, Maccabi will be back in local competition, visiting Hapoel Jerusalem for an important clash.
