The playoffs get going with a bang on Tuesday evening as dynamic Monaco (21-13) hosts a Maccabi (20-14) team which enters the series hotter than anyone after winning seven of its last eight games. Monaco can take confidence from a thumping 86-67 home victory when the teams met less than two months ago and will look for Donta Hall – who had a double-double of 25 points and 10 rebounds in that game – to again provide physical dominance, while Maccabi’s hopes rest on the scoring ability of backcourt stars Wade Baldwin (16.7 points per game) and Lorenzo Brown (16.5 points per game).
Pre-Game quotes: Monaco vs. Maccabi
Sasa Obradovic, Monaco head coach
"After the cup we didn't have much time to prepare, but we are working with the goal of competing in this series. We will hav eto make the right choices and expect a physical series. Maccabi has played great basketball in the regular season, they have an excellent roster and top coaching staff. We have some points in common with them regarding individual qualities. We have the home advantage in the series, but in Tel Aviv they will have a huge advantage over us. Brown and Baldwin an score and create, this brings attention to them amd frees other players. Maccabi also excels in the offensive glass, and this will be another key for us in the series. Small details will make a difference in this series and we want our fans to have a big role in it."
Oded Kattash, Maccabi head coach
"We have a tough matchup but we are very excited. Hopefully, we can get the right result. It's going to be a battle, we have to come out and be really aggressive and expect a really aggressive game. As we saw in the French cup final, Monaco is in great shape, so we must play a complete game."
John Brown, Monaco player
"It will be my first EuroLeague playoff series, it's wonderful. I hope to react in the best possible way. We have a lot of assets, three players among the best scorers in the EuroLeague, blockers, big men like Donta and Donatas, a very determined collective, players all capable of contributing something important, versatile players like Alpha (Diallo) and Jaron (Blossomgame)... That's why we know it will be very tough but we have confidence in ourselves. I think it will be more physical than tactical."
Jake Cohen, Maccabi player
"It's going to be a lot of fun. It's a great challenge for us as a team, we put ourselves in a great opportunity to do something special, and it's going to be a great couple of weeks of basketball. We need to take Monaco out of their rhythm. They are a really dangerous team in offense. If those guards get going and if they get some offensive boards, they really get going, so we have to try to limit those things."