This is the EuroLeague matchup between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Besiktas, tipping off tomorrow at 03:05 Korea time. Both teams came away with disappointing losses in their opening games, so they’ll be eager to get their first win, setting the stage for a close contest.
Maccabi Tel Aviv, the home team, lost its previous game against Lyon-Villeurbanne, scoring 74 points and conceding 84, and looked somewhat stagnant in attack. Besiktas, meanwhile, may have lost its opener, but it showed explosive firepower with 94 points. However, it conceded 96 points and exposed clear weaknesses in its defensive organization.
The key to this game will be the battle over tempo. If Besiktas uses its trademark fast transition and perimeter attack to turn this into a high-scoring shootout, Maccabi Tel Aviv, which struggled to score, could be at risk of falling behind offensively. On the other hand, if Maccabi Tel Aviv makes the most of home-court advantage, slows Besiktas down with tenacious man-to-man defense, and consistently scores through set offense, it could control the game in its favor down the stretch against a Besiktas side with a loose defense.
