Baskonia receives Baldwin IV’s Maccabi with doubts
MADRID, 2 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Cazoo Baskonia hosts Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv this Thursday at the Buesa Arena (20.15) on matchday six of the Euroleague Regular Phase, in a duel in which the Baskonia players seek to recover the good feelings from the start of the campaign against a Maccabi who, with Baldwin IV in his ranks, arrives in a great moment of form.
Although Joan Peñarroya’s men started this Euroleague with three consecutive victories against Valencia, Partizán and Estrella Roja, the illusion was deflated with the recent defeats against Olympiacos, at Buesa, and away against ASVEL Villeurbanne.
Achieving their fourth victory, their third in front of their fans, would allow Baskonia to catch their breath again and, moreover, boost morale. And the fact is that Maccabi Tel Aviv will be in front of them, having only lost against Fenerbahçe –undefeated so far– and that has just knocked down Panathinaikos.
In what will be Pierria Henry’s first game at the Buesa Arena after his return to Baskonia –after playing last year with Fenerbahçe–, the team from Vitoria will face an in-form Israeli team with a remodeled squad that At the moment, it gives much more sense of danger than the previous ones.
With the Spanish nationalized point guard Lorenzo Brown -a key figure in the Eurobasket won by Spain- and the former Baskonia player Wade Baldwin IV back at the Buesa Arena, Maccabi Tel Aviv will be a tough nut to crack for a Baskonia that, yes, will arrive to the appointment after winning the Basque duel in the Endesa League (70-81 against Surne Bilbao Basket).
Henry, along with Thompson, will have to know how to stop Brown and Baldwin. In fact, Lorenzo Brown is the best rated and the top scorer for Maccabi after the first five games. And Darius Thompson the most valued of Baskonia, so the duel is more than served in the direction of the game.
DATASHEET.
–EQUIPMENT.
CAZOO BASKONIA: Thompson, Marinkovic, Giedraitis, Hommes and Kotsar –possible starting quintet–; Costello, Sedekerskis, Henry, Kurucs, Raieste, Diez, and Howard.
MACCABI PLAYTIKA TEL AVIV: Brown, Baldwin IV, Hollins, Poythress and Nebo –possible starting quintet–; Adams, Martin, Menco, Sorkin, Dibartolomeo, Cohen, and Colson.
–REFEREES: Lottermoser, Nedovic and Thepenier.
–PAVILLION: Buesa Arena.