A crucial showdown at Palau Blaugrana will see Barcelona (21-11) attempt to take a step closer to a top-four qualification against a dangerous Maccabi team (19-13) that must win to maintain its slim hopes of the same achievement.
Game Notes: Barcelona vs. Maccabi
Maccabi is on fire after winning six straight games with an explosive offense led by Wade Baldwin (at least 14 points in 13 consecutive games) in the backcourt and Josh Nebo (double-digits scoring in eight straight games) in the paint. Barca took a thrilling 90-92 win when these teams met in November. Nico Laprovittola led that effort with 23 points and Barca crashed the boards to the tune of 16 offensive rebounds. With the home team needing a win to keep control of home-court advantage in the playoffs, expect the intensity of a final between a pair of title candidates.
- Barcelona has won three straight games against Maccabi, including a 90-92 win in Round 10 when James Nnaji had career highs in points (11) and PIR (16).
- When Maccabi beat Barcelona at Palau Blaugrana 80-104 in April 2022, it was the highest point total by a visitor to Palau Blaugrana in 287 EuroLeague games there since 2000. That is also the last time a team scored 100 points against Barcelona.
- Maccabi and Barcelona faced each other in the 1991 EuroLeague Final Four in Paris, France. Barcelona thrashed Maccabi 101-67 in the first semifinal behind Jose Antonio Montero, who shined with 25 points off the bench.
- Maccabi and Barcelona met in the 2000 EuroLeague semifinals in Thessaloniki, Greece. Maccabi prevailed 51-65 thanks to 24 points from the late Nate Huffman.
- Gianluca Basile set a Barcelona club record against Maccabi with 34 points in Game 2 of the 2008 EuroLeague Playoffs.
- Barcelona's Oscar da Silva and Maccabi's Tamir Blatt were teammates at ALBA Berlin during the 2021-22 season.
- Maccabi's Lorenzo Brown has been a teammate on the Spanish national team of Barcelona's Willy Hernangomez, Dario Brizuela and Joel Parra. Together they won the gold medal at Eurobasket 2022.
- Maccabi guard Wade Baldwin won MVP of the Round honors after accumulating a PIR of 41 playing for FC Bayern Munich against Barcelona in December 2020.
- Barcelona big man James Nnaji posted his career high with 3 blocks in a 24-point home loss against Maccabi in April 2022.
- Tamir Blatt had career-highs in points (17) and three-pointers made (5) playing for ALBA Berlin against Barcelona in December 2022.
- Barcelona forward Nikola Kalinic had a career-high 11 rebounds playing for Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul against Maccabi in April 2019.
- Barcelona swingman Alex Abrines posted his career high in index rating with 28 against Maccabi in April 2013.