Virtus Bologna 
Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv Virtus Bologna
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 will look to upset Virtus in Bologna on Friday
The yellows travel to northern Italy to face the third-placed team, in search for a third consecutive win (9:30 PM Israel time, 2:30 PM ET)
Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv are back on the road on Friday, when the yellow team visits Virtus Bologna in northern Italy as part of the EuroLeague’s round 13 (9:30 PM Israel time, 2:30 PM ET). The Maccabees will look to upset one of the best teams in the competition thus far, who holds a 6-1 home record.
Oded Kattash’s team comes in with a 7-5 record, following Wednesday’s 94-91 victory in France over ASVEL. On the other hand, the Italians are 8-4, fresh off of a 16-point rally to beat Barcelona.
Virtus made a big coaching change this past summer, replacing Sergio Scariolo with 58-year-old Luca Banchi – who returns to the EuroLeague after 5 years. Under Banchi, Tornike Shengelia is having one of the best seasons in his career, with 16.5 PPG, 6.2 RPG and EuroLeague-leading 21.3 PIR per game. 37-year-old Marco Belinelli is also flourishing with Virtus this season, scoring 13.4 points on 44.6% from long range.
This will be the teams’ 5th encounter in the EuroLeague era, with the Israeli champs holding a 3-1 head to head record. The only loss came in Bologna last season, with Maccabi punishing the Italians by a score of 111-80 in the home game.
Virtus deal Maccabi sixth loss of the season
The yellows went toe-to-toe with the streaking Italians, but could not keep up in the fourth. Brown was terrific with 26 points. On Monday: Maccabi is back in Israel to face Herzliya on the road
Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv went toe-to-toe with third-placed Virtus Bologna on Friday, but could not keep up in the final stretch – and suffered its sixth loss of the season. The Maccabees were defeated 90:100 in northern Italy to finish a EuroLeague double week.
It was a high-tempo, intense bout, with Maccabi holding the lead for most of the first half. After the break, the Toko Shengelia-Marco Belinelli duo were too much to handle, as Virtus took control for good.
With Lorenzo Brown delivering a terrific performance, including 26 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists, the Israeli champs shortened the deficit to 3 points with less than 4 minutes to go. Wade Baldwin added 20 points while Bonzie Colson ended up scoring 10.
Maccabi will now head back to Israel for the first time since the war began two months ago. Oded Kattash and his men will play in Herzliya on Monday in what will be their first Israeli league game of the season.
