After winning a game apiece last week, Maccabi and Panathinaikos head to Belgrade to continue a series that promises to deliver a succession of high-scoring shootouts.
Ergin Ataman, Panathinaikos: 'It will be hard for both teams'
Having missed Game 2 through injury, Maccabi is hoping to have Wade Baldwin available to complement the threat of backcourt teammate Lorenzo Brown, who has averaged 17 points and 4.5 assists so far in the series.
Panathinaikos's triumph on Friday was inspired by one of the league's true clutch performers, as Kostas Sloukas blasted 29 points on 12-for-16 field goal shooting. The Greens will again look for his combination of leadership and explosiveness in an exciting matchup with Brown.
Acquaintances will also be renewed for a major battle in the paint, where Maccabi's Josh Nebo will look to bounce back from a quiet performance in Game 2 (6 points, 3 rebounds) to control the influence of Mathias Lessort, who paired 11 points with 8 rebounds and 3 assists in Friday's victory.
Both teams love to crash the offensive glass, so other powerful rebounders such as Bonzie Colson, Antonius Cleveland, Kostas Antetokounmpo and Dinos Mitoglou will also have important roles.
Ergin Ataman, Panathinaikos head coach
"This is the playoffs, we are 1-1. To deserve to be in the Final Four we need to win two games. It will be hard for both teams. Maccabi is a great game so we need to put in the hustle and a good performance. After watching the first game we analyzed our mistakes and we paid more attention, especially in offense because Maccabi plays a lot of fastbreaks and transitions. We played much better. Maccabi is also the best team with offensive rebounds, but they have problems with defensive rebounds, so I think that will also be the key for the next games. We will go step by step."
Oded Kattash, Maccabi head coach
"There is pressure, that's the way it is in the EuroLeague from day one. We love the pressure, we love the challenge, and that's how we need to approach Game 3. It's a big part of being a basketball player or coach. It's never easy to reach the Final Four, we have to earn it. Be focused and active for 40 minutes and show we want it more than Panathinaikos."
Luca Vildoza, Panathinaikos player
"For sure, we go there to win. We know it will be hard because they have been playing well lately. We won the last game and we have the confidence to win the next two in a row. In OAKA we have our people, they are very loud. Playing without fans will not be the same, but we have to motivate ourselves to play like a normal game. Playing the playoffs is a big deal for us."
Bonzie Colson, Maccabi player
"We got to focus on our principles on both sides of the floor, be better defensively and execute better offensively as well and we will do that. It's gonna be an exciting atmosphere. Obviously we have some of our fans so we're looking forward to that. We're gonna do whatever we can to win."