Maccabi Tel Aviv in Crisis After Humiliating EuroLeague Loss

Maccabi Tel Aviv is facing a "complete hysteria, and rightly so," after a "very embarrassing" 100-78 defeat to Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade on Tuesday. The loss marked their sixth in eight EuroLeague games and followed a domestic league defeat, highlighting a team that appears "completely untrained, neither on offense nor defense." The team "disintegrated almost from the first moment" of the game, falling behind by 20 points in the first quarter and trailing 55-30 at halftime. Coach Oded Katash described the performance as "very bad and embarrassing," admitting the team lacked mental strength and a sense of urgency. He acknowledged responsibility for the team's poor showing, particularly their weak defense and tendency to give up when falling behind. The criticism extends to Katash's game management, including lineup choices and tactical decisions. After conceding 113 points to Real Madrid in a previous game, Maccabi allowed another 100, with opponents hitting 37 three-pointers in their last two EuroLeague contests. Crvena Zvezda shot 16 of 35 from beyond the arc and assisted on 28 baskets, while Maccabi's Chris Jones had nine assists, four more than his entire team combined. Frontcourt players Daniel Theis and Jalen Hood-Schifino were particularly disappointing, with Theis scoring four points and grabbing one rebound in under ten minutes before being benched for the second half. Armando Bacot added seven points and five rebounds in 15 minutes, but was scoreless in the first half. Significant criticism has also been leveled at the signing of Bacot. In the backcourt, guard Kethan Wallace, signed for approximately $1.2 million per season, has failed to meet expectations, scoring only three points on 1-of-7 shooting in 17 minutes. Another club source stated that while the "hysteria" is understandable given the team's performance, it is not helpful, and the focus must be on learning from the "very embarrassing" loss and responding in their next game, a home fixture against Paris on Thursday.