Maccabi Tel Aviv Coach Oded Katash Downplays Large Win

Maccabi Tel Aviv secured a comfortable victory on their path to the Winner Cup semifinals, but head coach Oded Katash expressed a preference for closer games, stating that a 30-point difference "doesn't do it for me." While satisfied with the distribution of playing time and the team's improvement after a scattered start, Katash emphasized that Maccabi is still in a developmental phase ahead of a demanding EuroLeague schedule.

"We managed to distribute the minutes as we wanted," Katash said post-game. "Considering our first EuroLeague game in France, our first quarter here was also not good, very scattered, and reminded me of our first half there. After that, there were better minutes against their pressure and aggressiveness. We played simply and smartly. I expect that at this stage of the season, it won't always look the prettiest. No team in Europe has had time to work on 100% of its capabilities. From what little we have managed, we need a higher level of execution."

Katash noted that other European teams are also not at their peak, citing the intensity and aggression seen in the opening EuroLeague round. He stressed the importance of learning from their initial EuroLeague performance to avoid similar lapses. "We need to learn from our first game, it cannot happen this week," he stated.

Regarding player TJ Leaf's return, Katash praised his abilities, stating, "TJ is an excellent player, he brings us a lot of ability and intelligence. I'm happy he's healthy, we waited a long time for him. Sharp eyes see that he's a bit afraid of the situation. It's mentally hard to recover from it. In hindsight, maybe I would have done things differently in the previous game. The intensity of the EuroLeague - it's a bit early. The most important thing is that he stays healthy, we need him."

On the opposing side, Hapoel Galil Elyon coach Eldad Bentsuv acknowledged his team's shortcomings. "In basketball, we weren't in the right mindset, we weren't good enough. We lost the game, there's nothing more to say. They are always bigger, every season start they say the gaps are widening. We reached a certain level, I am disappointed with the mindset today. We will lose to Maccabi in most cases." He added, "We currently have four foreigners, there are no answers as to where the foreign player policy is heading, so we will start the season. I have a problem with defeatism, and that's what we had. We learned a lesson, I'm glad we learned it, let's see how we react."