Kattash says Maccabi Tel Aviv must regroup after playoff finals loss

Maccabi Tel Aviv missed a chance to clinch the Israeli Basketball Premier League title on Sunday night, falling to Hapoel Tel Aviv in another tight game and seeing the best-of-five finals cut to 2-1.

After the loss, Maccabi coach Oded Kattash said the team arrived highly motivated but did not play its usual style. “We wanted it very much and the players came out with a lot of energy,” he said. “Sometimes they wanted too much, because we did not play the way we are used to. We rushed, and that was not the right way.”

Kattash added that Maccabi knew the series would be difficult and that fatigue would be a factor. He said the team did not shoot well, did not play correctly, and that some of his substitutions were intended to give players a breather rather than respond to matchups. “We knew the series would also depend on tiredness, and we would have to fight that,” he said.

With only two days before the next game, Kattash said he does not know where the team will find the energy, but believes it can recover. “We need to lift our heads, we only have two days, I do not know where to bring the strength from, but we will have to do it already in the next game. We will recover, lift our heads, and it will only be sweeter,” he said.