Match Preview
Milano have had a lot of success against the Israeli big guns in recent times, winning the last four head-to-head encounters against Maccabi Tel Aviv, but they are the ones carrying the underdog tag this time.
Maccabi Tel Aviv off to a Rough Start
Maccabi are off to a horrible start to the new EuroLeague season, registering three back-to-back defeats where they were tagged as favorites on two occasions.
Their defending was awful in the opening loss to ASVEL 84-74, allowing too many open shots, while getting smashed by Besiktas 109-93 in the follow-up clash, which was arguably their worst defensive performance in a while.
Last Friday, Maccabi Tel Aviv stood no chance against red-hot Panathinaikos, losing 90-67 in Athens, where their shooting was at just 39%. Veteran Roman Sorkin had a good performance with 13 points and 5/9 shooting.
The Yellows returned to winning ways last weekend by outplaying big rivals Hapoel Jerusalem 88-71 in the Israeli League Cup semifinals.
Milano Struggling for Consistency
Milano's EuroLeague campaign started with a disappointing 92-76 defeat to Partizan in Belgrade, but they managed to bounce back and edge Virtus Bologna 87-85 at home last week. Veteran Marko Guduric was the top scorer with 14 points, landing some clutch shots.
The Italian side failed to connect, struggling against Baskonia in the third round, registering an 86-76 defeat in Spain last Friday while shooting just 38% and allowing 55% to the opposition. Devon Hall demonstrated good form, though, with 12 points and 12 assists.
Milano's problems continued on Monday in the Italian top flight, losing to recently promoted Verona 75-72, mainly due to awful control on the glass (33-45 rebounds).