1.
This appears to be a trend - the process of attrition of Maccabi Tel Aviv continues.
The defeat against Olympiakos is already the third loss in the last four games.
If until now Maccabi knew how to respond to every loss, this time it didn't happen either.
It's not just 3 out of 4, this is how the losses looked: a big defeat against Fenerbahce, losing a 24-point lead against Partizan Belgrade and yesterday (Thursday) another defeat.
All of this happens before a sequence of games that does not promise favors for Maccabi.
Panathinaikos next week, then a double week in Spain against Real Madrid and Sakonia and then an away game against the improving Anadolu Zero.
In a short period of time, Maccabi, which has had a good season so far, can find itself somewhere else.
Is Maccabi, which invested a lot of energy in survival for half a season, now losing its strength?
Josh Niebo.
A gloomy evening for the yellows, photo: EPA
2.
The answer is no.
Lorenzo Brown's absence was not the reason for yesterday's loss.
The differences in levels in this game and the absolute dominance of the Greeks say that what happened yesterday in Piraeus is not the story of one player or another, even if he is a big star.
For half a season we knew that Maccabi would score around 90 points, and the question was how much they would absorb.
Yesterday the problem was in the defense (13 three-pointers for the winner), but much more in the attack.
The story is paced.
If Maccabi fails to play at a fast pace, it will not deliver the goods in attack.
Yesterday it was complete control of the Greek team at the pace of the game.
Olympiakos took the game exactly where it wanted.
Milotinov.
under the basket
3.
It was an evening at the 20 mark. A loss by almost 20 difference and Nikola Milotinov's 20 and 20.
Those were the numbers of the Olympiacos center, Nikola's powerful performance yesterday tells two stories about Maccabi's limitations - which are far beyond this game.
Maccabi does not have a player with mass that can stop a big man like the center.
Maccabi itself cannot put its hands on the chins of this mass and size.
Olympiacos have two of those, including Mustafa Pall who didn't play.
4.
Wade Baldwin tweeted promising no technical fouls in 2024, yesterday he got a technical.
In addition, for those who still needed a reminder - Maccabi has a derby outside tomorrow.
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