Maccabi Tel Aviv smears playoffs: "We have proven that we can face the big ones"

The Yellows got an appetite after the close victory over Basconia and against the background of the Russian suspension: "You can win every game."

Ziv is excited, the players are happy with Avi Even's change, but the fans are still disappointed, and Nikola Vujicic finds new ways to hide from the fire

Almond light

02/03/2022

Wednesday, 02 March 2022, 06:45

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Summary: Part I of the interview with Oded Katash on the program "Storm in the Kingdom" (Sport 1)

1.

Last night (Tuesday), Maccabi Tel Aviv recorded its 12th Euroleague victory of the season when it defeated Basconia 93:94 at home in a rematch from the 19th round.

Thanks to the victory the Yellows can fantasize again about the playoffs, even if the Russian teams finish the season.

It was a very strange basketball night at the hall.

Maccabi started the game badly, but with the help of a great first quarter by the outstanding Ante Žižić and James Nanley managed to reverse the result and in the second quarter came close to a double-digit difference.

The second half was worse for the Yellows, but in its weak last quarter of the season it surpassed, first with Žižić, and finally with clutch shots by John Dibertolomao and Scotty Wilbkin and a big block by Nanley, and managed to record an important victory.

Nanley and Žižić finished the game with 21 points each, with Scotty Wilbkin scoring 17 from his side.

"We talked a lot this week about cladding teammates," Nanley said of his big block at the end. "I'm just happy to do what I love."

Ante Žižić added: "It was a dramatic game with a lot of ups and downs. We fought very hard, we left our heart on the pitch, especially in the fourth quarter. It is an important victory for us, everyone gave their best and we will have to build on it." .

In Basconia, allegations were made at the end of the trial, mainly about an excess of whistles in favor of Maccabi Tel Aviv, including a whistle for the technical foul on Nevan Spahija, less than two minutes before the end.

More on Walla!

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Avi Even Simach: "We needed it, it's a serious boost"

To the full article

"We left our hearts on the field."

Zizic celebrates with Wilbkin and Ziv (Photo: Danny Maron)

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• Again in the picture: Maccabi Tel Aviv defeated Basconia 93:94

• The method, the solution, the distortion: In which method will the Euroleague season be decided?

• Frustration in the Israeli team after Germany, criticism of the great credit to Madar

• Come get stronger, sculpt and change your life in 10 sessions

2.

What accompanied the whole evening at Yad Eliyahu was the war in Ukraine and the suspension, at least temporarily, of the Russian groups.

There was a lot of talk in the stands about the possibility that Maccabi would benefit from the no-man's land and enter the playoffs.

Currently, in the reduction of games against the Russian teams, the team holds a balance of 11 wins and 10 losses.

The club knows that a decision on the matter will probably be made in the coming weeks, and that the Euroleague will not wait until the end of March to decide.

Maccabi knows that their game schedule is more "fan" right now, and until the game against Milan on March 22, only one game in the Euroleague awaits them, next Thursday against the Red Star Belgrade.

A victory in it, along with the relegation of the Russian teams, will bring the team very close to the playoffs.

"The whole situation with the war is not pleasant," said Yiftach Ziv at the end of the game. ".

John Dibertolomao is optimistic about the possibility of playing in the playoffs against senior teams and a priority over the Yellows.

"I feel we can handle the big teams of the Euroleague, we have already proven that. We will have to show our consistency, because we had ups and downs. We are still at war in the playoffs, even with the Russians in the picture. If anyone in the team does not believe we will enter the playoffs, "Elsewhere. We have a reasonable game schedule to the end, you can win every game."

Suddenly the season can look different.

Nanley and Ziv (Photo: Danny Maron)

3.

Last night's victory was Avi Even's first in the Euroleague at Yad Eliyahu.

After his two previous defeats in the factory as coach against Bayern Munich and Anadolu Efes, Maccabi knew that Basconia was a more comfortable opponent, and still had a very difficult time.

Stone seemed very active on the lines, and most of the crowd accepted him reasonably, alongside a few chants against him.

“We have growing pains with the changes in coaches,” Dibertolomao says.

"My father puts in more and more of his stuff. Over time we get better, previous games have shown we need to get better. We were better on offense, but we can't rely on him getting 90 points in every game."

Dibertolomao tries to open a new page with under the scepter of a stone.

"I loved Yannis and Vasilis, they are great coaches, but my father comes in and puts in his stamp and his character, he does a great job within the team. We will go step by step, his enthusiasm and his positivity is contagious."

Yiftach Ziv added about his new coach: "My father brought new energies. We were stuck for a while, and then the change in the coaching position came. Whenever you change something and do new things, it's a bit successful and gives a new atmosphere. We tried to clean up our bad things, to be positive. Today our togetherness won the game, we played for each other the whole game. "

"Put in his stamp."

Avi Even (Photo: Danny Maron)

4.

An hour and a half before the match, it was already possible to understand that the atmosphere in the hall would be far from typical.

The open box office was a spectacle that Maccabi has not seen in recent years, and many fans who tried to speculate on their tickets were unable to sell them.

In the end only 8,641 spectators were in the hall, a result of disappointment with the recent results and the fact that the game was held on Tuesday.

In the two runs of Basconia, in the first and third quarters, there were loud boos from the stands, and during the game there were also fans chanting against the management and against the decision not to appoint a coach in place of Yannis Sapropoulos, but to leave the team in the hands of Avi Even.

Some of the fans called out to Nikola Vujicic, but the Croatian did not sit on the floor at all this time, but in the viewing booths together with some of the team's sponsors.

change your place change your luck?

Vujicic (Photo: Danny Maron)

5.

If Maccabi can take anything positive other than the ability of Nanley and Žižić from the game, it is the fact that even without Keinan Evans who is still having a hard time getting back into shape after the Corona, the team managed to pass a tough test when John Dibertolomao and Yiftach Ziv contribute 8 and 7 points. Respectively, and the team again loses only six balls.

Ziv recorded his best game in the Euroleague and referred to his status in the team.

"I can move forward and get significant minutes. Unfortunately so many things happened in this half year that hurt me and stopped me from being there. Slowly through hard work and faith, I hope things work out. I went through so many things, Corona, injuries, I could not get up to my pace. "But I did not forget to play basketball. Sometimes there is a short memory in the world of sports. I know what I can give, and hope the obstacles are behind me. It is not easy to get into things here, not in a second become a symbol or savior here.

Dibertolomao, who was once again the X Factor, summed up his part in the victory: "I do not feel pressure in this situation, every player has to play on his strengths, and my job is to come off the bench and change the game. It is natural for me, and if I continue like this, ".

• sport

• basketball

• Euroleague and European basketball

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• Maccabi Tel Aviv in basketball