The Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season will come to a close with a pivotal Round 23 makeup clash between Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv and Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul.
Keys to victory: Maccabi vs. Fenerbahce
Maccabi must control its emotions
The Israeli champs control their destiny knowing that a victory keeps them in fifth place and sets up a playoff duel with Real Madrid, while a loss drops Maccabi to sixth and sends it to face AX Armani Exchange Milan. Fenerbahce will finish 12th regardless and finish its season in Tel Aviv. The famed Maccabi crowd will be out en masse to support their heroes and the players are sure to be pumped. In such games, a few missed shots early that lead to a deficit could snowball and put the pressure on the Maccabi players. Controlling their emotions and taking charge from the get-go is critical for Maccabi.
Related Videos
Making threes is crucial for Fenerbahce
For Fenerbahce, this game will be about going out in style while preparing the team for the stretch run in the Turkish League. By the numbers, the biggest weakness for Maccabi that Fenerbahce can try to exploit is perimeter defense; Maccabi has allowed its opponents to make a league-best 38.2% of their three-pointers. The problem for Fenerbahce is that its three-point accuracy as a team is second-lowest in the league, 33.0%. However, if the likes of Melih Mahmutoglu, Markel Starks and Pierria Henry heat up from deep, it could change the course of this game.