After splitting last week’s double-week with a 74-79 loss to Olympiacos followed by a comeback 78-73 win over Fenerbahçe, Maccabi Tel Aviv will again host a home game at Belgrade’s Aleksandar Nikolic Hall on Thursday (21:05 IST / 14:05 EST), with second-placed Barcelona visiting the mythical arena, themselves coming off of a split double-week (a 71-94 loss to Baskonia followed by a 74-70 win over Valencia).

Although they’ll be playing at their “home away from home” due to the Swords of Iron war back home in Israel, the war and everything surrounding is something that is clearly with the team every day. With a deal for the return of a number of hostages who were taken to Gaza by Hamas on October 7 set to come into effect in the coming hours or days, Maccabi’s final shooting practice before the game on Thursday was held with a large 14m x 8m, 60kg banner (~46ft x ~26ft, ~132lb) behind the basket – as big as a whole section in the stands – which read, “Hundreds of Israeli Hostages: Bring Them Home Now!”

Maccabi Tel Aviv with the MASSIVE #BringThemHomeNow banner behind the basket for tonight’s game vs Barcelona. Credit Maccabi Tel Aviv pic.twitter.com/7xwLMFtBEW

— Sports Rabbi (@thesportsrabbi) November 23, 2023

While Maccabi fans may be satisfied with their team coming into the game in fourth place in the standings and 5-3 during a challenging season, everyone is aware that the team has been very inconsistent, which was especially true last week, with the Yellow & Blue scoring an aggregate of 74 points and giving up an aggregate of 97 points in the first 20 minutes of each game. Maccabi will need to have a much better start to the game against one of the top teams in Europe to give themselves the best chance of winning.

“Barcelona is one of the more impressive and best teams the EuroLeague to date,” Maccabi coach Oded Katash said. “We’re coming into the game after two games in which our first halves weren’t good and our second halves were much better. Since the start of the season we’ve had lots of ups and downs, but the last two weeks this has been even more extreme for us. Against a team like Barcelona, of course it won’t be enough. We need to be focused for the whole game.”

There’s been plenty of criticism of Maccabi’s frontcourt in recent times. Bonzie Colson and Josh Nebo lead Maccabi for rebounds this season, averaging 7.2 and 5.2 per game respectively, with the team averaging 34.6 rebounds per game. While Maccabi did get 14 rebounds from Colson against Fenerbahçe last week and had a season-high 22 offensive rebounds, the battle under the basket will be a big challenge for them against the Catalonians, who themselves are averaging 37.9 rebounds per game, with five players – Oriol Paul, Jan Vesely (who will miss through injury, along with Rokas Jokibaitis and Michael Caicedo), Tomas Satoransky, Willy Hernangomez and Jabari Parker – averaging more than four rebounds per game.

“Keeping them off the glass, defending as a team, just being locked in and helping each other out on defense,” Maccabi guard Antonius Cleveland of the challenges which Barcelona present for Maccabi. “First [we need to] get stops and run while doing the things we do best and play through one another.”

“Barca is a great rebounding team and great defensive team, we need to play defense and keep them off the glass as much as possible,” Maccabi forward James Webb III – himself averaging 6.2 points and 3.4 rebounds per game – said of the key to winning the game. “We’re third in scoring and second in assists so we have to just keep up our style of play, not get distracted and focus on what we do best – getting out and running in transition. We’ll just fight and bring our energy.”

While this season continues to challenge Maccabi for reasons out of their control – including playing without the energetic Yad Eliyahu crowd – Barcelona are not underestimating their opponents, being acutely aware of the challenge playing against a Maccabi team that loves to counterattack and score with pace from the defensive end of the court.

“The situation is not easy for the Maccabi players, but they are all excellent players and they have found the way to get together,” Barcelona coach Roger Grimau said. “Maccabi has traditionally had rosters with American players who are athletic, intense and play fast. With the ball they can hurt you and they have big, mobile players.”

“It will be a different game with no fans in the stands, you have to get ready for this kind of situations and winning, no matter what,” Barcelona veteran guard Nico Laprovittola said. “Maccabi has an athletic team, the league is athletic. Maccabi plays fast, faster than us, and they have players who are in a great moment right now. We will try to counter those. It’s not easy to lose a player like Jan [Vesely], but we will do what we can to win.”

Every game is a must win game in the EuroLeague, but it would be a huge morale-boosting victory for Maccabi and their fans in Israel if they can get the W against a talented Barcelona team.

“We need to go onto the court with pride and the feeling of the crowd in our heart, find the right energies,” Katash concluded. “Barcelona is a quality team, if we make mistakes – we will be punished. That’s the big challenge.”