Euroleague Gameday 10 will see Hapoel Tel Aviv face Baskonia and Maccabi Tel Aviv take on Fenerbahçe. Two days later, the Israeli teams will “switch” opponents, with Hapoel visiting the Turks and Maccabi hosting the Basques. By the end of this stretch, Hapoel could find itself alone at the top of the standings, while Maccabi might be stuck alone at the bottom.

A double EuroLeague week lies ahead for both clubs and on Tuesday at 21:05, both Israeli representatives in the world’s second-best basketball league will tip off simultaneously on the gleaming courts of Munich and Sofia. On German soil, Maccabi Tel Aviv will play on the neutral court of last season’s champions, Fenerbahçe, hoping to end a frustrating losing streak. The yellow-and-blue are languishing near the bottom of the standings at 2–7, saved from dead last only by a slightly better point differential than ASVEL Villeurbanne.

Meanwhile in Sofia, Hapoel Tel Aviv will try to bounce back from its loss in the Winner Cup Final to Hapoel Jerusalem on Saturday, when it faces a resurgent Baskonia. Hapoel, sitting at 7–2, wants to stay close to the top of the table. The Basques, after starting the season with six straight losses, are riding a three-game winning streak. With the additions of Kobi Simons and the awakening of Spagnolo alongside Diallo and Luwawu-Cabarrot, Baskonia has drastically improved defensively, dropping from 96 points allowed per game in the first six rounds to 78.6 in the last three. But those wins came against weaker opponents (Anadolu, Dubai, and Virtus), so this week’s doubleheader against the Israelis will be a major test.

Hapoel comes in as the favorite in both matchups, having exploded for 109 points against Dubai last week. If Bryant, Micić, Motley and Blakeney can replicate that offensive output, even Fenerbahçe might struggle to keep up. Defensively, Hapoel will look to tighten up after a lax week on that end, which cost them dearly domestically. Perhaps it’s time to unleash Guy Palatin to lay down the law against Spagnolo and Wade Baldwin IV.

Worth Noting

Hapoel Tel Aviv ranks second in free-throw percentage (82.7%) compared to Baskonia’s 19th place (75.3%). While a seven-point gap may not seem decisive, a closer look shows that three of Baskonia’s four main free-throw shooters, Diallo (71.7%), Spagnolo (66.7%),and Diop (42.9%) are unreliable at the line. If Hapoel can draw fouls on them and send its own “bankers” (Bryant, Micić and Blakeney, all above 88%) to the stripe, it will hold a key advantage especially given Baskonia’s expected barrage of three-pointers.

Weak Spot

If you’ve ever wondered what it would look like for Hapoel Tel Aviv to face a version of itself featuring Antonio Blakeney, here’s your chance. On Tuesday, they’ll need to find a way to contain a guard who scores almost a point per minute, with ridiculous shooting efficiency and a lightning-fast release. TLC, once the name of a ’90s girl group now refers to Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot, the French gunner averaging 20.1 points per game, leading the league in three-pointers and releasing his shot so quickly it’s in before his defender can even say his full name.

Do-or-Die, Chapter 4

Desperation in Maccabi Tel Aviv’s camp continues to mount with every EuroLeague defeat, and even a domestic win in Netanya didn’t lift Oded Katash’s spirits. Maccabi is trapped in a loop: strong starts followed by late collapses due to soft defense and disorganized offense, hoping for miracles like Dowtin’s buzzer-beater in the derby or Tamir’s heroics against Real. Against Panathinaikos, Crvena Zvezda and Monaco, no such miracles arrived and none are going to happen now.

Bruised and battered, Maccabi returns to domestic play for a breather before diving into another “fly or sink” EuroLeague week. The words written about Baskonia could just as well describe the yellow-and-blue a victory on Thursday against the Basques could be a turning point. Let’s be blunt: if Maccabi doesn’t come away with at least one win, this double week might bury their EuroLeague season.

The Turks, meanwhile, are still struggling to find rhythm, stuck in mid-table. Šarūnas Jasikevičius’s Fenerbahçe currently owns the league’s weakest offense, perhaps because they’ve yet to face Katash’s defense.

Fener’s lineup features familiar faces: Wade Baldwin, Bonzie Colson and Scottie Wilbekin all ex-Maccabi players. And as with all reunions with exes, Maccabi desperately wants to prove it’s moved on.

Worth Noting

Nigel Hayes-Davis, the Final Four MVP in Abu Dhabi, gave up substantial money to chase his NBA dream with the Phoenix Suns. Rumors already link him to a possible return to Europe and specifically to Hapoel Tel Aviv. In his absence, Fenerbahçe’s front court remains paper-thin, something both Tel Aviv teams can exploit this week.

Maccabi’s much-maligned big men actually delivered offensively last week against Monaco: Leaf (18 pts, 5 reb), Hoard (16 & 10), and Sorkin (15), along with newcomer Gur Lavi (9 & 5), could give Maccabi a real edge in the paint against the Turks, where Colson is the only effective big. Nicolo Melli’s second stint hasn’t lived up to his first and Birsen and Bako Jr. haven’t impressed either. Perhaps this time, Katash’s pick-and-roll will finally produce that elusive “W.”

Weak Spot

If Fenerbahçe lacks quality bigs, its backcourt is the complete opposite overflowing with elite guards who can erupt on any given night. Out of 81.1 average team efficiency, 60.8 (75%) comes from players at positions 1 and 2. The team’s leaders in points and efficiency are point guards Baldwin and Devon Hall, followed by ex-Laker Talen Horton-Tucker. Any of them could dominate against one (or both) Tel Aviv sides, especially against Maccabi, which allows a EuroLeague-worst 94.2 points per game.

Add to that Wilbekin, returning slowly from an ACL injury and Brandon Boston Jr., also back from the sidelines, and you’ve got a backcourt arsenal few can match. Maccabi, meanwhile, just added Iffe Lundberg, hoping that when he returns from injury, he’ll be in the mood to actually play defense.

Beyond the Province

With all due respect to our hometown teams, two other EuroLeague matchups this week will capture continental attention.

The headline game of Round 10 pits this season’s surprise package Žalgiris Kaunas against Olympiacos on Wednesday (21:15) in the Peace and Friendship Arena a clash of the league’s two toughest defenses.

The next night, a red-hot showdown: Crvena Zvezda, riding a seven-game winning streak, hosts Monaco (21:00). Since losing to Itoudis, coach Vassilis Spanoulis has led Zvezda to three big wins with an offense from another world. Mike James, fresh off a 34-point game against Maccabi, will try to halt Zvezda’s roaring train, which has thrived even without Jordan Nwora, who might return this week setting up a duel between two of the best scorers in Europe.