Maccabi Tel Aviv Aims to Bounce Back in EuroLeague Against Panathinaikos

Maccabi Tel Aviv is preparing to face Panathinaikos in Athens on Friday at 9:15 PM, following two opening losses in the EuroLeague season to Villeurbanne and Besiktas. Players Keaton Wallace and T.J. Leaf addressed the team's challenges ahead of the difficult matchup.

Wallace acknowledged defensive struggles in previous games, despite scoring 93 points offensively. "We struggled on the defensive end. Offensively we shot well, we scored 93 points. So we will need to focus more on defense," he stated. He also noted the absence of their home crowd in Tel Aviv, emphasizing the need to generate energy internally. "We are not playing in Tel Aviv with our crowd, so bringing more energy to the court will definitely help us. But we need to play with the cards we have," Wallace added. He expressed anticipation for his first game in Athens, calling it a "learning experience."

Leaf stressed the importance of intensity and physicality, which he felt was lacking in their first two games. "We need to focus on our intensity, we have to be more physical, that's something we haven't done in the last two games. We need to be ready for a battle from the opening tip," Leaf said.

Coach Oded Katash acknowledged the disappointing start to the EuroLeague season but stressed the team's responsibility to respond. "Obviously we didn't want to start the EuroLeague season with two losses, but it is our responsibility to react. Tomorrow a very difficult game awaits us, one of the hardest games the EuroLeague can offer, and we need to lift our heads, and we can only do that if we stay united. There are many things to improve, especially on defense," Katash concluded.