Consigned to a seventh-place finish by last week's narrow loss at Barcelona, Maccabi (19-14) will aim to take on last victory before the Play-In Showdown against a Milan team needing a win and help from elsewhere to survive (15-18).
Game Notes: Maccabi vs. Milan
October's meeting between the teams saw Maccabi triumph 90-98 behind a season-high 21 points from Jasiel Rivero and he will feature in a big battle for physical supremacy alongside teammates Josh Nebo and Bonzie Colson, that trio going up against Milan's experienced Nikola Mirotic, Nicolo Melli and Johannes Voigtmann. Mitotic's double-double of 18 points and 11 boards was key in last week's vital victory over Virtus, showing Ettore Messina's men are not ready to give up on their postseason hopes and will look to exploit a Maccabi side whose minds may be elsewhere.
- The rivalry between Milan and Maccabi dates back to the early 1970s, with the first game between the two teams taking place in 1973.
- In their Round 2 game, Maccabi won in Milan 90-98 as Lorenzo Brown tied Maccabi's single-game record for assists by a player with 12, while Jasiel Rivero scored 21 points and had a career-high PIR of 26.
- Milan defeated Maccabi in the continental championship games in back-to-back years in 1987 and 1988. Coach Dan Peterson's Tracer Olimpia Milano edged Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv 71-69 in Lausanne in 1987 behind 23 points from Roberto Premier and 21 plus 9 rebounds from Bob McAdoo. A year later, the Final Four era was introduced with Coach Franco Casalini's Milan beating Maccabi 90-84 in Ghent, Belgium, thanks to 25 points and 12 boards from McAdoo.
- In the 2014 playoffs, Maccabi beat Milan 3-1 in a best-of-five series en route to capturing the EuroLeague title at the Final Four at Milan's Mediolanum Forum.
- Milan set a club record in EuroLeague play this century with 29 assists against Maccabi in October 2016.
- Milan's single-game record for free throws made by a player is 13, which Danilo Gallinari set against Maccabi Tel Aviv in October 2011.
- In Round 10 of the 2019-20 season, Nikola Mirotic had 25 points and 14 rebounds, including a career-high 11 defensive rebounds, playing for FC Barcelona in a 96-73 win over Maccabi. Mirotic earned MVP of the Round honors with a PIR 35 for that performance.
- Milan center Alex Poythress spent last season with Maccabi and helped the team reach the EuroLeague Playoffs.
- Milan's Maodo Lo and Maccabi's Tamir Blatt were teammates at ALBA Berlin for the last two seasons.
- Maccabi's Lorenzo Brown and Milan's Billy Baron were teammates at Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade during the 2019-20 season. They both made their respective EuroLeague debuts that season.
- During the 2020-21 season, Shavon Shields grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds in Milan's road over Maccabi and had a career-best 9 defensive rebounds in a home win over Maccabi.
- Milan big man Nicolo Melli posted his career-highs in rebounds (14), defensive rebounds (13), three-pointers made (6) and index rating (40) while earning MVP of the Round honors playing for Brose Bamberg against Maccabi in December 2017.
- Melli also posted his career-high in assists with 10 playing for Brose Bamberg against Maccabi in November 2015.
- Milan big man Kyle Hines grabbed a career-high 8 offensive rebounds playing for CSKA Moscow against Maccabi in February of 2017.
- Milan forward Johannes Voigtmann set his career-highs in points (23) and steals (3) while playing for Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz in a 101-88 win over Maccabi in December 2016.
- Maccabi center Josh Nebo grabbed a career-high 10 defensive rebounds against Milan in March of last season.
- Tamir Blatt dished a career-high 9 assists playing for ALBA Berlin against Milan in October 2022.