Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv returns to Menorah Mivtachim Arena as they'll host Bayern Munich in the first game of the EuroLeague's double-round week (Wednesday, 19:30, live on Sport5 - channel 55). Both teams hold a 1:1 record as the game will fixture an entertaining battle between two well experienced EuroLeague coaches, Giannis Sfairopoulos and Andrea Trinchieri.

Yovel Zoosman, John DiBartolomeo, and Omri Casspi won't be available for the greek coach. Still, after the latest gameday against CSKA Moscow, it appears that the two big men, Ante Zizic and Dragan Bender, have found comfort in Maccabi's system an,d the connection between Chris Jones to his new teammates is emerging. However, Wednesday's showdown looks to be more challenging than history presents. 

In the first two fixtures of the early season, Bayern scored more than any other team in the top European competition, falling dramatically 79:81 to Milano in overtime and beating Alba Berlin in the German Derby, 90:72. 



"We have another important game on our home court playing against a team that changed their coach, and after watching their first two games, they played really well", Analyzed Giannis Sfairopoulos, their upcoming opponent. "We need to focus on our plan because Bayern is a very dangerous team with experienced players and very athletic players. We will need to read their weak points and attack them smartly to come back with a positive result". 

"Jalen is in better shape than last year, he's playing excellent basketball this season", Added the greek coach about ex Maccabi Jalen Reynolds. "We know him, and he knows us, so we will need to be concentrated against him".

"#ITANU (With us) is a huge matter for Maccabi and us players and coaching staff. We want our fans to be all the time unitedly with us", Emphasized Sfairopoulos. "You know how close is the relationship between us and our fans, everywhere we play, there are Maccabi fans, especially at home in Menorah Arena/Yad Eliyahu". 

"#ITANU is to have the fans as close as possible to us, we represent the symbol of Maccabi on our jersey with fight and sweat, and now, we want our fans names on it to help us even more. Not only mentally but also financially paying a small amount to overcome this period of the pandemic. Together we will run, together we will perform".



"It's great being out here competing, I feel excellent even though I haven't played an official game since March", Said Dragan Bender, who came off the bench against CSKA Moscow, scoring 9 points and grabbing 4 rebounds. "Obviously, I've been practicing individually, but it's definitely great being back on the court playing the game".

Oz Blayzer, which got into early foul trouble last game, explained what went wrong: "I was trying to be an energizer off the bench and shifting the momentum, but I might have been over motivated. I'll need to play smarter while staying aggressive to help the team. I learned from it".

"There are no easy EuroLeague games, whoever comes against us, we need to play our game and be mentally ready because we can win or lose in every game", Continued the Israeli forward. "As we did last season, we need to keep our home court. Play to our strengths, and come back to our winning ways towards this double EuroLeague week".

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Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv fell to Bayern Munich 82:85 in Menorah Mivtachim Arena after a dramatic ending in the third EuroLeague fixture. The Germans controlled a double-digit advantage early in the second quarter, holding it till the fourth, as the Yellow & Blue performed a fine comeback late in the game. Scottie Wilbekin got the final ball with a chance to tie it up, but the shot went wide. Wilbekin came clutch in the final quarter scoring 15 points out of his 27, adding 7 assists, and Zizic held Maccabi in the first half finishing the night with 19 points and 6 rebounds.

Giannis opened the contest with Scottie Wilbekin, Elijah Bryant, Angelo Caloiaro, Dragan Bender, and Ante Zizic in the starting five. On the other end, Trinchieri started with Wade Baldwin, Nick Weiler-Babb, Vladimir Lucic, Malcolm Thomas, and Leon Radosevic. After nearly two scoreless minutes, Lucic got it going converting a three-point play adding a mid-range jumper. Maccabi fed the big man Zizic in the paint, who converted 6 of Maccabi's first 8 points in the paint, 8:7.

The hosts kept controlling around the rim as Caloiaro laid it in after an offensive board, and Zizic added two more, but ex Maccabi Jalen Reynolds scored 4 points that gave the reds a 1 point lead, 12:13. Twenty seconds to the end of the first, Chris Jones converted the Yellow & Blue's first three-pointer of the game as Paul Zipser scored two inside to tie it up at 15 after 10 minutes.

Reynolds added 4 more from all cylinders as part of a 9:0 run, which led Giannis Sfairopoulos to call a timeout, 15:22. Oz Blayzer led to a steal as Wilbekin lobbed to Othello Hunter, who slammed it down, but Zipser tallied 4 points on the other end to increase the advantage up to 9, 17:26.

Bayern's high defensive pressure bothered Maccabi offensively. Wilbekin scored his first basket 4 minutes in the second quarter as Zizic recorded his 12th of the first half, 23:30. Radosevic converted two from the line giving the reds a double-digit advantage, Jones found Caloiaro, who was fouled while scoring a tough bucket but missed the free throw, 25:34 at halftime.

Both teams found it offensively in the second half, Maccabi's Croatian duo went to work, and Wilbekin joined drilling his first three of the night, 32:36. However, Jajuan Johnson converted from mid-range, and Lucic scored 5 straight points, providing Bayern a 9 point lead, 34:43. The offensive pace continued as Zizic counted in his 7th bucket inside, Blayzer hit a three, and Caloiaro converted a three-point play.

Still, Reynolds and Baldwin hit twice over a Maccabi defender at the top of the key maintained the advantage, 48:57. Wilbekin and Blayzer scored 7 unanswered points for the hosts to cut the lead down to 2, but Zipser drilled a buzzer-beating three giving the reds a 5 point advantage heading into the 4th quarter, 55:60.

Dorsey converted a shot from deep, but Zipser found Dedovic for easy two and knocked in a three of his own, which opened a double-digit advantage for Bayern, 58:68. Both teams exchanged buckets as Bryant and Wilbekin reduced the lead down to six 67:73. Wilbekin added, hitting back to back triples for his 8th straight point, which led to an Andrea Trinchieri timeout 2:32 left on the game clock, 73:77. After Caloiaro scored one of two from the charity strike, Lucic drilled a critical step-back three over Caloiaro, increasing the lead back to 6.

With 1:37 on the game clock, the game went to the free-throw line. Wilbekin converted 4 from the line, but in the next possession, Dorsey was charged for a foul plus a technical, and Lucic totaled 3 from the strike, 78:84. Wilbekin tallied two more, and Dorsey stole the ball from Zipser, who committed an unsportsmanlike foul. The guard knocked in both shots, 82:84, with 45 seconds remaining. Maccabi got the stop defensively but couldn't grab the offensive board fouling Weiler-Babb with 4 seconds remaining. The American guard missed the second shot, and Wilbekin got the final chance from half-court but missed wide. Bayern beat Maccabi 85:82.

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