In recent years, the Israeli team has met the Polish team in three consecutive settings: the European Championship qualifiers, the World Cup qualifiers that are being held now and in September they will play in the same house at the European Championships.
So far, these meetings have brightened the face of Israel.
The balance is 0: 3 when tonight we get the fourth meeting.
Tonight's game in Lublin is important for Israel and critical for Poland.
The Poles want to return to the World Championships where they recorded a huge achievement in 2019 (8th place).
The thing is that a loss in the game against Israel in Lublin can leave them out already after the first qualifying round.
Poland's balance so far - one win in four games (Israel 2: 2).
From the beginning of the World Cup qualifying campaign, we saw a reissue of Israel's rival with a new coach - Igor Milicic (mentioned as a candidate for the position of assistant coach at Maccabi Tel Aviv) who replaced Mike Taylor who was on the lines for eight years and so far it is not a success story.
Aside from the results, the team is having a very difficult offensive and has not passed 71 points in all four of its games.
On the other hand all the games were close and on the defensive side it looked much better.
Slaughter, Photo: FIBA website
One of the reasons for the offensive weakness is the fact that Poland has played so far without its two leading players and in the game with Israel we will get an upgraded team.
Tonight, the well-known veteran citizen EJ Slaughter, 34, a Gran Canaria player who has been serving the team since 2015, will return.
This means a different defensive line-up against the dangerous guard who both scores and manages the game.
Slaughter continues in the position of citizen after talk of Will Cummings' naturalization has not yet materialized.
Another one who will return to the game against Israel is forward Matias Ponitka, the only Euroleague player the Poles have.
Pontica played for Xavi Pasqual at Zenit St Petersburg and left after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the removal of Russian teams from European factories.
Two very important players are: 21-year-old center Alexander Berchalkovsky (2.18) who plays with Slaughter in Gran Canaria and our well-known forward Mikal Sokolovsky who played for Hapoel Holon.
The depth advantage is clearly with Israel, also a prominent advantage in the position of coordinator that Slaughter will try to cover.
Despite the strengthening of the Polish rival, Israel can certainly continue in the series of victories.
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