Maccabi Tel Aviv Nears Guard Decision After EuroLeague Loss
Translated & summarized from Walla by baba
Maccabi Tel Aviv lost to Real Madrid 113-99 in a EuroLeague game, dropping their record to 5-2. The team squandered a significant lead in the second half, with players citing a loss of ball movement as a key issue. The club is actively pursuing a new guard to join the roster immediately, with several candidates reportedly being considered. Maccabi will play Maccabi Rishon LeZion in a domestic league game on Saturday.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Maccabi Tel Aviv lost to Real Madrid 113-99 in a EuroLeague game, dropping their record to 5-2.
- The team lost a 15-point lead in the second half, allowing Real Madrid to score 62 points.
- Players cited a failure to move the ball as a primary reason for the collapse.
- Maccabi Tel Aviv is close to signing a new guard to immediately bolster the roster.
- The team will play Maccabi Rishon LeZion on Saturday, with key players likely to be rested.
Maccabi Tel Aviv suffered a disappointing 113-99 defeat to Real Madrid in a EuroLeague game on Thursday, dropping their record to 5-2 and further down the standings. The team held a 15-point lead early in the second quarter but lost momentum, allowing Real Madrid to rally with a barrage of three-pointers, particularly in the second half. "At the end, Real Madrid hit 21 three-pointers, that's a crazy stat," one team official commented, noting that some were difficult shots they hoped the opponent would miss.
Player Jalen Hood expressed frustration with the team's offensive flow, stating, "I think we stopped moving the ball, and every time that happens, we get ourselves into a hole, and this is not the first time." He emphasized the need to play as a team, similar to previous successful games, and acknowledged that the absence of the injured Iffe Lundberg was significant but not an excuse.
Oshea Brissett also highlighted the stark difference between the team's two halves, admitting, "It's annoying to lose, but we can look back at it and understand that we need to be better when a team makes a run." He added that the team felt a game they could have controlled had slipped away.
Maccabi Tel Aviv is actively seeking to strengthen its roster and hopes to finalize a deal with a guard over the weekend. Sporting Director Claudio Coldebella is reportedly pushing to bring potential signings to the management for approval. Among the players considered since Lundberg's injury are Nemanja Nedovic, who has a contract dispute with Crvena Zvezda, Jamar Young, who has experience in the NBA and G-League, and Darius Brown II, currently playing in Trento, from whom there is a possibility of extracting him from his contract.
The team is scheduled to return to Israel on Friday and will hold a light practice on Saturday morning before facing Maccabi Rishon LeZion later that evening. Key players who saw significant minutes against Real Madrid are expected to be rested, with Armando Bacot likely to continue receiving opportunities in domestic league games.
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