First place in Group F and homecourt advantage in the upcoming Quarterfinal Playoffs will be at stake on Thursday when Real Madrid hosts Maccabi Electra.
You can watch Real Madrid v Maccabi Electra live, with SportingBet’s live streaming service, from 19:45 GMT.
The two teams enter the game with 3-2 records and have already clinched the two playoff berths from the group. Now they clash for first place in a winner-take-all showdown. Both teams are healthy and ready for what promises to be an exciting battle. This marks the third season in a row in which these teams have met in the Top 16.
Last season, Madrid swept Maccabi and punched its ticket to the quarterfinals with a 69-73 win in Tel Aviv. Two years ago, Maccabi beat Madrid 100-103 in overtime in the Spanish capital to seal its ticket to the playoffs as it marched on to the title game.
Of course the rivalry between these two teams goes back much deeper than that. They have met dozens of times over the years, including the 1980 Euroleague final, which Madrid won 89-85 in Berlin.
There is also a great sporting rivalry between the teams’ head coaches, Ettore Messina of Madrid and Pini Gershon of Maccabi, who boast a combined seven continental crowns between them. In their only previous meeting this season, Maccabi had the last laugh as Alan Anderson erupted for 20 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals to lead the Israeli champs to an 81-76 win. Madrid suffered a poor shooting night, in part due to Maccabi’s 7 blocked shots.
Now at home, Messina’s men will try to improve their shooting, especially inside, to better their chances. The key players to that end are Madrid’s big men, centers Darjus Lavrinovic and Ante Tomic and power forwards Jorge Garbajosa and Felipe Reyes.
Maccabi counters with its shot-blockers, D’Or Fischer and Stephane Lasme – who share the Top 16 lead in the stat – while sharpshooter David Bluthenthal and when Maccabi wants to go small, Guy Pnini, line up at power forward.
Both teams are deep on the wings. Messina can choose between Marko Jaric, Novica Velickovic, Louis Bullock, Rimas Kaukenas and Travis Hansen depending on the look he wants. Anderson teams with Chuck Eidson in the starting lineup while Pnini and Raviv Limonad can both fill in.
At point guard, Madrid uses reliable playmaker Pablo Prigioni, who Maccabi will match with Andrew Wisniewski. Sparkplug Sergi Llull is a game-changer off the Madrid bench, as is Doron Perkins for Gershon’s side. Madrid is undefeated thus far at home this season, a fact that alone makes it the favorite.
The key matchups could be at power forward, where Garbajosa and Reyes have a distinct size advantage over Pnini and Bluthenthal, but the Maccabi forwards are quicker and good outside shooters. If one team can maximize that matchup issue, it could have a big impact on what looks to be a thrilling finish to Group F.