Maccabi Tel Aviv Secures First EuroLeague Win, Eyes Return to Israel

Maccabi Tel Aviv achieved their first EuroLeague victory of the season on Thursday, defeating Milan 97-79 in Belgrade after three initial losses. The team displayed improved engagement, reduced confusion, and glimpses of defensive effort. A prior win against Hapoel Jerusalem in the Winner Cup had boosted confidence, which was evident against the Italian team, showing early signs of better team play.

Player Yam Madar, returning to the starting lineup after coming off the bench in previous EuroLeague games, appeared more involved and confident. His performance is a significant encouragement for the team, which has been seeking stability in its backcourt. Madar, who joined in the summer with expectations of becoming a leading player, scored 17 points, demonstrating his potential to lead a EuroLeague team, though he must now translate this into consistent performance throughout the season. "We didn't start the season as planned, but the most important thing is to take this game, gain confidence from it, and move forward. We have a busy schedule, and this was one step in the right direction," Madar stated.

Coach Oded Kattash noted the team's correct energy levels and their effort to build confidence after a poor start. He expressed satisfaction with the sense of urgency and the positive contributions from multiple players. "We are slowly trying, after a terrible start in the EuroLeague, to build some confidence. I'm happy about the sense of urgency we played with. I'm also very happy that we managed to get good minutes from many players. We were consistent in our energy levels, and when confidence comes, things loosen up," Kattash said.

Daniel Theis, who missed the previous two games due to an ankle injury, returned to play in the first quarter. The German center showed flashes of his expected capability, contributing eight points, three rebounds, and two assists in 14 minutes. While his performance offers some optimism for one of Maccabi's key summer signings, the team still needs greater integration and dominance from him on both ends of the court, especially considering his $2.2 million contract.

Jalen Hurd, who scored 13 points, also expressed optimism. "The feeling is great. We know we didn't start the season as we wanted, but I think this week we watched a lot of video and corrected our mistakes. We took a step forward against Jerusalem, and in this game too, there were things we can learn from. I feel like today we played even better than against Jerusalem, and I hope we can continue this way throughout the season," Hurd commented.

Maccabi Tel Aviv is set to begin their Israeli League season on Saturday against Hapoel Galil Elyon. Concurrently, the club is actively working to bring EuroLeague games back to Israel. The EuroLeague CEO and competition director were invited to observe the security situation and the possibility of hosting games. The club hopes this visit will help secure a vote to return games to Israel. If unsuccessful, Maccabi may relocate its home games to Cyprus, ending their three-year tenure in Belgrade, with a potential move by October 22.