The week's action starts early on Tuesday as Milan (1-3) looks to bounce back from consecutive losses with a visit from Maccabi (2-2) in a game originally scheduled for Round 2. Milan has been over-reliant on Nikola Mirotic (22.5 points per game) and Shavon Shields (15.8 ppg.), with nobody else averaging in double digits, so the likes of Kevin Pangos and Nicolo Melli will be looking to step up. Maccabi suffered a 28-point thumping at Monaco last week and will be focused on improving its defense after allowing 43 field goal conversions in that game. Josh Nebo – averaging 6.5 rebounds – has an important role in patrolling the paint against Milan's long list of big men, while Lorenzo Brown will look to return to his usual high standards after having just 1 assist with 5 turnovers last week.
Pre-game quotes: Milan vs. Maccabi
Ettore Messina, Milan head coach
"Maccabi is an extremely athletic team with a lot of depth and a point guard who is leading everybody on the court. By definition, they always have the right mentality and cohesion especially in trying times. They are coming off a loss in Monaco, but they had time to regroup and prepare, so I anticipate a very motivated team. For us it will be crucial to at least match their determination and show a better quality of play, compared to the last few games."
Oded Kattash, Maccabi head coach
"We are coming off a very bad game in terms of energy and also basketball-wise. We have to find the energies to lift ourselves up, even though it is a complicated situation. We would like to do what we did against Panathinaikos after Valencia."
Alex Poythress, Maccabi player
"They are a competitive team; they are a veteran team with a lot physicality. For us, it will be crucial to bring the same level of physicality to them, match their intensity and get back on track."
Antonius Cleveland, Maccabi player
"We must let our defense lead to our offense and enjoy our game. We enjoy the game when we are playing free."