To start on the right foot on the way to Prague

Pini Gershon, Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv head coach, expects a close and tough series with Olympiacos. “I will not be surprised if it will be decided only in the third game”, he says. Olympiakos is one of the surprising teams of the Euroleague season. And Maccabi should know. The Greeks won in November in Piraeus 83-78 and stretched Maccabi all the way in January at the NOKIA Arena (101-95). Olympiacos qualified to the Top 16 from fourth place in the group whilst Maccabi finished top. In the Top 16 the Reds from Piraeus had a 4-2 record (two losses to Barcelona). Maccabi won their group with a 5-1 record. The man behind the Greeks success is the Lithuanian coach Jonas Kazlauskas who led Zalgiris Kaunas to the European Champions Cup in 1999. His point guard then was ex UCLA star Tyus Edney (1.78). And he is filling the same role now in Piraeus. Other leading players: Ex Maccabi small forward Quincy Lewis (2.01) and the big men Andrija Zizic (2.06) from Croatia and 20 years old Greek Sofoklis Schortsanitis (2.06). Maccabi arrive to the game after a 5-0 run in the Top 16 and with Player of the Month of March Maceo Baston, on great form. Maccabi is the most experienced team and with the Yellow Army behind them, should take the lead in the series ahead of game two, to be played Thursday in Piraeus.