1. Ante Žižić was in the headlines yesterday (Sunday) after the 66:83 victory of Maccabi Tel Aviv in the derby in the quarterfinals of the State Cup.
The Croatian chin, who has shown some improvement in recent games compared to the weak period in the last two months, did not have a hard time against the opponent’s very lacking front line and provided his best game this season with 26 points, 13 rebounds and 46 index points.
“Ante made the difference,” complimented Maccabi. The team hopes that this game will give him confidence ahead of the three Euroleague games that await them within a week. The Croatian’s importance is great due to the absence of Othello Hunter, and after the game Yannis Sapropoulos complimented the players who knew how to find him well.
“It’s not just me,” Zizic said modestly. “My teammates found me in easy layups and dunks. They put me in the game really fast. In all the less-than-good times the people on the team talked to me and restored my confidence, and in recent games things have opened up. Re for me. “
Sapropolus. Focused on group chemistry // Photo: Alan Schieber
2. Along with the joy of advancing to the semifinals after two consecutive relegations in the quarterfinals, Maccabi Tel Aviv should hope that the fact that Chris Jones and Tyler Dorsey were not recorded in the three important domestic matches that took place in the last eight days (Winner’s Cup final, Clasico vs. Hapoel Jerusalem , Will not make them go even further from the pace, when even so they do not show impressive ability this season.
“You’re always looking for the negative,” Sapropolos did not like when asked, “For me Tyler and Chris are an important part of our squad, I trust them as much as all the players. The reason I haven’t used them in recent games is also Hunter’s injury, and I had to add another Big “Man, and I also did not rotate because I did not want to change the chemistry of the team within this week.”
3. Maccabi has talked to the players in recent days about the team not winning the cup in the last three seasons, and indeed these have shown high motivation from the first moment.
“I have not won a trophy in my career and I really want to win one like this this year,” said Angelo Cloiaro, who did not hide his screen look with the disappointment of the last relegations, “We have not been happy to lose early in the last two years. Maccabi is a big club with standards and we want to stand plunder”.