A few weeks ago, a ticket to the Euroleague playoffs almost seemed out of Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv's reach. But, like in life, basketball has its twists and turns. The Yellows are currently amid a fantastic run, with eight wins in a row, and will host Virtus Bologna on Tuesday (7 pm Israel time), knowing that another victory will push them close to securing a top 8 ticket.
Maccabi reaches this game from the sixth place in the table with a 17:13 record. Sergio Scariolo's team, on the other hand, is battling negative momentum and has lost the last four of five. Nevertheless, Bologna has beaten the Yellows in their previous meeting, 73:78. There is a question mark around Milos Teodosic's participation, as the legendary Serbian point guard was injured lately.
"It is always challenging to play two Euroleague games in a week, certainly at the end of the year when every victory counts," said Kattash at the press conference before the game. "We are in good shape but must focus only on tomorrow's game. The energy will come from defense, and I'm sure we'll also get a push from our fans."
The Yellows' Captain, John DiBartolomeo, spoke about the hectic schedule. "We got used to it as time passed," he said. "The guys know how to recover and be ready every day. We are fighting to achieve our goals, but not much has changed in terms of preparations this week. I think I am playing better this season than in the previous two. Oded gives me confidence, and I feel comfortable in the system alongside my teammates. I hope to continue like this for the rest of the season."
Maccabi reaches this game from the sixth place in the table with a 17:13 record. Sergio Scariolo's team, on the other hand, is battling negative momentum and has lost the last four of five. Nevertheless, Bologna has beaten the Yellows in their previous meeting, 73:78. There is a question mark around Milos Teodosic's participation, as the legendary Serbian point guard was injured lately.
"It is always challenging to play two Euroleague games in a week, certainly at the end of the year when every victory counts," said Kattash at the press conference before the game. "We are in good shape but must focus only on tomorrow's game. The energy will come from defense, and I'm sure we'll also get a push from our fans."
The Yellows' Captain, John DiBartolomeo, spoke about the hectic schedule. "We got used to it as time passed," he said. "The guys know how to recover and be ready every day. We are fighting to achieve our goals, but not much has changed in terms of preparations this week. I think I am playing better this season than in the previous two. Oded gives me confidence, and I feel comfortable in the system alongside my teammates. I hope to continue like this for the rest of the season."