Maccabi Tel Aviv Suffers Third Straight EuroLeague Loss, Starts Season 0-3

Maccabi Tel Aviv experienced a dismal 90-67 defeat against Panathinaikos in their third EuroLeague game, marking the first time in nearly three decades they've started their European season with a 0-3 record. The team is currently at the bottom of the league standings.

From the outset, Maccabi struggled offensively, scoring only 10 points in the first quarter and a season-low 24 points in the first half. They shot 0-for-10 from three-point range in the first half, committed nine turnovers, and had only three players score more than two points. "The defensive and offensive stats were terrible, nothing we did worked. We lost confidence with every shot that missed," a source within the team stated. "As usual, we had no defense, and offensively we have a very big problem that we must solve. There is no shooter to lead the team, neither from three nor from the field."

Coach Oded Katash expressed his disappointment, noting the team's poor shooting percentages and body language. "We did things we don't plan to do on the court, this is not the way we want to play. We know we are better than this, which is why we are so frustrated," he said. "We have a lot of quality, but the way we played for many minutes is worrying us."

Panathinaikos capitalized on Maccabi's weaknesses, hitting easy threes and capitalizing on turnovers. This trend continued in the second half, with Maccabi failing to execute on offense and maintain defensive effort. The team finished the game shooting 21.4% from three-point range and committed 16 turnovers, a recurring issue this season.

"We didn't look good and no one can pinpoint exactly what happened. Everyone looks depressed. We need to lift our heads," club sources said. "Fortunately, we have a game on Sunday, and we hope to recover from this loss. We need to examine things professionally, and also examine what is happening beyond the professional aspect."

Player Jaylen Hoard acknowledged the frustration but urged unity. "We need to stay together, because obviously everyone is frustrated by the three losses in the EuroLeague. We need to see what we did wrong, learn from it, lift our heads and try to improve from game to game," he said. Guard Iffe Lundberg added, "We played with a lack of energy, a lack of intensity, a lack of ability to execute." He also noted that while it's early in the season and there's no need for panic, the team must fix its issues.

Daniel Theis, sidelined with an ankle injury, is questionable for the upcoming game against Hapoel Jerusalem in the Winner Cup semifinals. John DiBartolomeo is also expected to miss the game due to his brother's wedding.