“This was an unbelievably gusty win”

Despite playing only 2 preseason games against local opponents and not holding a training camp, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv got off to a winning start holding off Alba Berlin 80:73 at the non-seated Menora Mivtachim Arena. After the win, the Yellow & Blue continued the tradition and thanked the empty seats. 

“First of all, we played without fans and for me to play without them makes it feel like a cold atmosphere, and it’s not easy to play like that”, Said head coach Giannis Sfairopoulos about the biggest challenge he has faced tonight. “The team and I are connected to the fans, we love them, and that’s why we dedicate this win for them”. 

“My concern was how we would play a EuroLeague game because we hadn’t played in Europe since March, not even in the preseason. One of my biggest thoughts was how we would respond, and as you saw in the first period, we didn’t perform as we wanted, but after that, we got in the right spirit”, Spoke Sfairopoulos about how the game developed. “We had an excellent second period defensively, and offensively, we turned the game around, and from that moment, we took the lead and got a good win”.

“We finished at the end of July, so we didn’t have the training camp, the preseason games, and the same preparation as the other EuroLeague teams had, so this was an unbelievably gusty win by us”, Said Angelo Caloiaro after finishing as the top scorer with 18 points. “This is our third game of the season, and we were able to put it together against a very good Berlin team, so it’s pretty impressive, and I’m proud of the guys”. 

Making his EuroLeague debut, Chris Jones spoke about his great display scoring 12 points and dishing 7 assists: “I just came out and played basketball. My teammates and coaches made it easy for me to be comfortable out there. I am playing the game I love, and I had a great time, played hard, and got the win”.