The Israeli champions travel north, meeting Danny Franco’s squad as part of the domestic competition. Cohen returns to Giannis Sfairopoulos’s roster after a one-game absence
Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv seeks to start a new winning streak and keep a perfect record in all Israeli competitions facing Ironi Nahariya in Ein Sara Sports Hall, completing a rescheduled Israeli Winner League fixture (Sunday, 21:00, live on Sport5 – Channel 55). The purple squad under head coach Danny Franco looks for their first win of the 2020/21 season as Sandy Cohen returns to the Yellow & Blue side after completing a one-game suspension.
Maccabi holds a perfect 3:0 record in the domestic league beating Hapoel Haifa last week, 81:75. Oz Blayzer led the way with 21 points and 29 PIR, Ante Zizic added 11 points, and Omri Casspi made his season debut after a long absence, scoring 10 points as he’s now 9 points away from recording 1000 career points in the Winner League.
In the past three seasons, Maccabi won all eight league matchups between the two squads by a total margin of 105 points. Last season, Maccabi beat Franco’s team 86:65 at home and 89:62 at Nahariya in December of 2019, the game that sidelined Omri Casspi John DiBartolomeo until last week’s return. The Purple’s last home win over the Yellow & Blue goes back to April of 2016, as Kwame Vaughn shot a game-winner leading the northern squad to an 86:85 win.
Kalin Lucas has been the team’s top offensive force scoring 21.3 points and dishing 4 assists per night, as Devon Scott contributes 16.5 points and seven rebounds. Orr Leumi and Joe Alexander will face their ex-club in which they played together six years ago
