Pre-game breakdown
It seems like 4.5-hour flight to the South by Aeroflot charter took the team to the opposite hemisphere. After “-21” in Moscow “+21” forecast for the first day of spring looks like a miracle.
CSKA became the first team to secure a playoff berth last week.
The Army Men still miss Othello Hunter and Pavel Korobkov due to injuries.
Pre-game quotes
Dimitris Itoudis, CSKA head coach:
We have another EuroLeague road game in front of us. Maccabi is in the top eight and they are chasing one of the playoff spots. We know what it’s like to play in Tel Aviv in front of all their fans. So we prepare for a battle which will be a very tough game for us.
Victor Rudd, CSKA forward:
For me it will be just another game, though a very important one. Maccabi has a completely new team this year; they actually have just one guy left on the roster since my time there. For me it will be nice to see people from the staff and fans. I am still in touch with many of them on the phone and social media. It will be great to see them. Also we have a chance to enjoy some nice warm weather for at least a couple of days.
“Relativity” connections
Nando De Colo played under current Maccabi head coach Neven Spahija at Valencia Basket during the 2009-2010 season. They won the 2010 EuroCup title together.
Semen Antonov and Maccabi center Artsiom Parakhouski were teammates at Nizhny Novgorod for a season when that club made its EuroLeague debut in 2014-15.
CSKA newcomer Victor Rudd defended Maccabi colors last season.
Important numbers
Coach Dimitris Itoudis has used 11 different players in the CSKA starting lineup so far this season. No player has started every game.
Nando De Colo has scored in double figures in 8 of his last 9 EuroLeague games.
Nando De Colo is ranked second among qualified EuroLeague players this season in average performance index rating with 20.3 per game. He is third in the EuroLeague in scoring with 16.7 points.
De Colo leads the league in free-throw accuracy this season by making 96.04% of his attempts. Nando is the EuroLeague career leader in free throw accuracy at 93.80%.
De Colo is fifth in the EuroLeague this season with 1.4 steals per game.
Sergio Rodriguez has made three-pointers in 16 of his last 17 EuroLeague games. He is second in the EuroLeague this season with 2.9 three-pointers made per game.
Sergio Rodriguez is eighth on the all-time EuroLeague assists charts with 867.
Cory Higgins has scored in double figures in each of his last 7 EuroLeague games.
Higgins has recorded a performance index rating in double figures in 8 consecutive EuroLeague games.
Will Clyburn is fifth in the EuroLeague in rebounding with 6.1 rebounds per game.
Othello Hunter is fourth in the league in offensive rebounds with 2.7 per game.
Kyle Hines is fourth on the all-time EuroLeague charts with 430 offensive rebounds for his career. He needs 9 more to catch Ioannis Bourousis (439) for third place.
Hines needs 11 more rebounds to become the 13th player in competition history with 1,000 boards.
Hines is third all-time with 177 career blocks.
Khryapa is ranked eighth on the all-time charts with 241 career steals. Khryapa’s former teammate J.R. Holden is seventh with 247.
Khryapa is seventh on the all-time charts with 161 blocks for his career. He needs 1 more to catch Mirza Begic who has 162 in sixth place.
Past matchups
Taking into account three technical defeats suffered in 70s due to political situation, CSKA prevailed in 23 games out of 41.
1974-75 – European Champions’ Cup. Group stage: CSKA – Maccabi: (CSKA technical defeat)
1974-75 – European Champions’ Cup. Group stage: Maccabi – CSKA: (CSKA technical defeat)
1976-77 – European Champions’ Cup. Group stage: CSKA – Maccabi: 79-91 (-12)
1976-77 – European Champions’ Cup. Group stage: Maccabi – CSKA: (CSKA technical defeat)
1980-81 – European Champions’ Cup. Group stage: CSKA – Maccabi: 83-81 (+2)
1980-81 – European Champions’ Cup. Group stage: Maccabi – CSKA: 85-74 (-11)
1982-83 – European Champions’ Cup. Group stage: CSKA – Maccabi: 80-84 (-4)
1982-83 – European Champions’ Cup. Group stage: Maccabi – CSKA: 69-78 (+9)
1984-85 – European Champions’ Cup. Group stage: CSKA – Maccabi: 81-87 (-6)
1984-85 – European Champions’ Cup. Group stage: Maccabi – CSKA: 67-79 (+12)
1988-89 – European Champions’ Cup. Group stage: CSKA – Maccabi: 92-97 (-5)
1988-89 – European Champions’ Cup. Group stage: Maccabi – CSKA: 94-90 (-4)
1994-95 – European Championship for Club Teams. Semifinal Round: CSKA – Maccabi: 87-78 (+9)
1994-95 – European Championship for Club Teams. Semifinal Round: Maccabi – CSKA: 92-89 ÎÒ (-3)
1996-97 – Euroleague. Qualification Round: CSKA – Maccabi: 89-80 (+9)
1996-97 – Euroleague. Qualification Round: Maccabi – CSKA: 77-78 (+1)
1997-98 – Euroleague. Preliminary Round: CSKA – Maccabi: 71-63 (+8)
1997-98 – Euroleague. Preliminary Round: Maccabi – CSKA: 87-69 (-18)
2000-01 – Suproleague. Semifinal: Maccabi – CSKA: 86-80 (-6)
2001-02 – Euroleague. Top 16: Maccabi – CSKA: 69-68 (-1)
2001-02 – Euroleague. Top 16: CSKA – Maccabi: 81-77 (+4)
2003-04 – Euroleague. Regular season: Maccabi – CSKA: 84-87 (+3)
2003-04 – Euroleague. Regular season: CSKA – Maccabi: 80-83 (-3)
2003-04 – Euroleague. Semifinal: Maccabi – CSKA: 93-85 (-8)
2005-06 – Euroleague. Final: CSKA – Maccabi: 73-69 (+4)
2006-07 – Euroleague. Quarterfinals: CSKA – Maccabi: 80-58 (+22)
2006-07 – Euroleague. Quarterfinals: Maccabi – CSKA: 68-56 (-12)
2006-07 – Euroleague. Quarterfinals: CSKA – Maccabi: 92-71 (+21)
2007-08 – Euroleague. Final: Maccabi – CSKA: 77-91 (+14)
2009-10 – Euroleague. Regular season: Maccabi – CSKA: 71-54 (-17)
2009-10 – Euroleague. Regular season: CSKA – Maccabi: 77-72 (+5)
2013-14 – Euroleague. Top 16: CSKA – Maccabi: 100-65 (+35)
2013-14 – Euroleague. Top 16: Maccabi – CSKA: 76-81 (+5)
2013-14 – Euroleague. Semifinal: CSKA – Maccabi: 67-68 (-1)
2014-15 – Euroleague. Regular season: CSKA – Maccabi: 99-80 (+18)
2014-15 – Euroleague. Regular season: Maccabi – CSKA: 61-84 (+23)
2015-16 – Euroleague. Regular season: CSKA – Maccabi: 100-69 (+31)
2015-16 – Euroleague. Regular season: Maccabi – CSKA: 82-88 (+6)
2016-17 – Euroleague. Regular season: Maccabi – CSKA: 76-80 (+4)
2016-17 – Euroleague. Regular season: CSKA – Maccabi: 93-81 (+12)
2017-18 – Euroleague. Regular season: CSKA – Maccabi: 101-86 (+15)
Short dossier
Maccabi Tel Aviv, Israel
Founded: 1932
Colors: yellow, blue
Home court: Menora Mivtachim Arena (11,000)
President: Shimon Mizrahi
Head coach: Neven Spahija
Website: www.maccabi.co.il
Trophy case: 5-time Euroleague champion (1977, 81, 2004, 05, 14), Suproleague champion (2001), Adriatic League champion (2012), Intercontinental Cup winner (1980), Israeli champion (1954, 55, 57-59, 62-64, 67, 68, 70-92, 94-2007, 09, 11, 12, 14), Israeli Cup winner (1956, 58, 59, 61, 63-66, 70-73, 75, 77-83, 85-87, 89-91, 94, 98-2006, 10-17)
