Olimpia is entering an unexpected “double week” facing Maccabi first and AS Monaco later, both games at home. The Maccabi game was scheduled to be played as a Round 2 clash, but the events that have characterized the Israel region over the last few weeks moved the game up, to this Halloween night. Meanwhile, Maccabi had to interrupt its domestic league play and had to move abroad. The next home games will be played in Belgrade. So, the team is coming off a loss to Monaco, but previously was able to win in Athens, against Panathinaikos. Olimpia is going though a difficult time. It lost in Berlin, last week, allowing the opponent to comeback from a double-digit deficit late in the game after dominating for long stretches. On top of it, with a roster depleted, Olimpia lost in the Italian league, too, complicating its life a little bit. Tip off time on October 31 is at 20:30.
INJURY REPORT – Nikola Mirotic reported a left Achilles tendon discomfort that will be re-evaluated right before the game to determine his availabiity, with minutes restrictions, or less.
REFEREES –Damir Javor (Croatia), Anne Panther (Germany), Marcin Kowalski (Poland)
COACH ETTORE MESSINA – “Maccabi is an extremely athletic team with a lot of depth and a point-guard who is leading everybody on the court. By definition, they always have the right mentality and cohesion especially in trying times. They are coming off a loss in Monaco, but they had time to regroup and prepare, so I anticipate a very motivated team. For us it will be crucial to at least match their determination and show a better quality of play, compared to the last few games.”
ALEX POYTHRESS – “They are a competitive team; they are a veteran team with a lot physicality. For us, it will be crucial to bring the same level of physicality to them, match their intensity and get back on track.”
MACCABI OUTLOOK – After extending the former legendary player, Oded Katash, as head coach, Maccabi has also retained much of the core group of the last season including four fifths of the hypothetical starting line-up built around two ball-dominant guards, Lorenzo Brown (15.2 points and 8.0 assists per game, 40.2 percent from three-point range) and Wade Baldwin who has not played so far due to a injury. At the wing Bonzi Colson (14.8 points and 7.0 rebounds per game, 71.4 percent shooting on twos) is returning, as well as center Josh Nebo, a player of great energy who’s averaging 10.0 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Also returning are the playmaker John Di Bartolomeo (41.2 percent from three-point territory), the forward Rafa Menco, the experienced Jake Cohen and mostly Roman Sorkin, one of the most effective Israeli players, a power forward who was decisive in both Maccabi wins over Olimpia during the last season. The other new players are the guard Antonius Cleveland (7.5 points per game), coming from two years in Australia but with some NBA experience too, the point guard Tamir Blatt, who last year was at Alba Berlin and is averaging 7.0 points and 6.0 assists per game, and the two big men who formed the Valencia one-two punch, James Webb, a power forward with a solid mid-range shot, and the Cuban center, Jasiel Rivero, who had 11 points off the bench vs Partizan.
SERIES HISTORY – Olimpia has won two of its three European titles by beating Maccabi Tel-Aviv in the championship game. In Lausanne on April 2, 1987, the game finished 71-69 for Milan, and the coach was Dan Peterson. A year later, in Ghent, it finished 90-84 again for Olimpia in the Final Four’s championship game. The coach was Franco Casalini. Overall, the two teams have met 36 times, splitting the all-time series 18-18. In Milan it is 12-5 for Olimpia. In Tel Aviv is 13-4 for Maccabi. On a neutral court it is 2-0 for Olimpia. Three years ago, Olimpia broke a streak that started in 1987 by winning 86-85 in Tel Aviv after an overtime with Malcolm Delaney’s winning jumper. Right now, Maccabi is riding a 3-game winning streak.
THE MACCABI CONNECTION – Alex Poythress has spent the 2022/23 season with Maccabi, winning the Israeli championship before signing for Olimpia.
KYLE HINES NOTES – Kyle Hines has played 114 EuroLeague gaes for Olimpia so far, fourth overall behind Kaleb Tarczewski, Nicolò Melli and Vlado Micov (115). Finally, he is nine away from reaching 1,000 defensive rebounds for his career, a milestone surpassed by only six players so far, the last of which was Nicolò Melli. Meanwhile, he became the first ever for games played in the EuroLeague with 395, five appearances away from 400 in his career.
NICOLO’ MELLI NOTES – Nicolò Melli is six appearances away from reaching Kaleb Tarczewski’s 156 as the All-Time leader for games played in the EuroLeague with Olimpia. Meanwhile, he has put Ante Tomic behind him as the sole holder of fifth place All-Time in the defensive rebounds ist. The fourth place belongs to Georgios Printezis with 1,065, 39 rebounds ahead of the Olimpia captain.
NIKOLA MIROTIC NOTES – Mirotic’s 38 rating in Istanbul was the third performance ever by an Olimpia player; Berlin’s 36 rating was the sixth highest ever. Mirotic’s career high of 39 dates back to the Round 14 of the 2021/22 season when he played for Barcelona against Real Madrid. In that game he also set his career-high for points scored with 31. He went very close to in Berlin where he scored 30.
NIKOLA MIROTIC NOTES 2 – The performance in Berlin was the 54th game of at least 30 points by an Olimpia player in the history of the first European club competition. The club record is 43 shared by Bob McAdoo and Paolo Vittori. In the EuroLeague era, it was the eighth game with at least 30 points scored by an Olimpia player. The overall record belongs to Samardo Samuels with 36.
SHAVON SHIELDS NOTES – Shields surpassed 1,500 career points scored in Berlin. 954 are those have been scored for Olimpia, the 4th-best ever. The only three players who have scored more than 1,000 points in the top European competition are Bob McAdoo, Vlado Micov and Sergio Rodriguez. His 25 points in Berlin are his twelfth “Over 20” game in the EuroLeague. Six were produced for Olimpia. The record is 34 (2020/21 against Bayern Munich); twice he scored 26 points (against Khimki in Moscow in 2020/21; against Olympiacos in Milan in 2021/22); another time he scored 25, in Belgrade against Partizan, last season.
