It won’t come easy. Ettore Messina’s team has won eight of its last nine, mainly due to the addition of Shabazz Napier, who leads Milano in scoring (14.7 per game). Nevertheless, at home, in front of its fans, Maccabi should find ways to extend its winning streak, which currently stands at nine.

Speaking in the press conference ahead of the game, Oded Kattash attempted to keep his team focused on the game, not its consequences. “This is an important one, but we’re trying not to look at the table and just play our basketball. I trust my players to make the adjustments needed to contain Milano’s aggression.”

“It’s a big game for us against an in-form opponent”, said Lorenzo Brown, who was a key factor in Maccabi’s impressive run. “Milano has been playing great lately, but so do we. We’d have to keep the same energy level on both sides of the court. I feel that if we do that and play with the same mentality we’ve shown in recent games, we will get this win.”