Maccabi Tel Aviv pulled off a stunning 86-75 comeback victory over Hapoel Tel Aviv to capture the Winner Cup and claim the first piece of silverware of the season.
Trailing by as many as 23 points, the yellow-and-blue flipped the script in spectacular fashion, riding monster second-half performances from Jimmy Clark, Daniel Theis and Keaton Wallace to stun the Reds.
Clark was the driving force behind the comeback, finishing with a game-high 24 points and earning MVP honors. Theis and Wallace added 16 points apiece, while Eugene German paced Hapoel with 26 points in a losing effort.
Maccabi got off to the better start, with Jaylen Hoard and Clark providing the early offense as Oded Katash’s squad took a 26-17 lead after the opening quarter. Hapoel responded in the second, however, as Khadeen Carrington found his range and German caught fire from beyond the arc, drilling five three-pointers in the period to send Dimitrios Itoudis’s team into halftime with a 44-36 advantage.
The Reds carried that momentum into the second half and appeared to have the game firmly in hand. German continued to score, Tai Odiase added points inside, and Hapoel’s defense completely shut down Maccabi, holding the yellow-and-blue scoreless for the first seven minutes of the third quarter. The lead ballooned to 59-36, leaving Maccabi staring at a seemingly insurmountable 23-point deficit.
But the game was far from over.
Theis, Wallace, Clark get Maccabi’s offense rolling
Theis, Wallace and Clark finally got Maccabi’s offense rolling, sparking a furious rally that cut the deficit to 62-51 heading into the fourth quarter. Wallace opened the final frame with a triple before Clark caught fire, knocking down back-to-back threes. Theis threw down a dunk, and Clark connected again from downtown as Maccabi stormed into a 65-64 lead midway through the quarter.
From there, the yellow-and-blue never looked back. Wallace and Clark continued to rain threes, Hoard chipped in with a pair of baskets, and Wallace delivered another long-range dagger to put the finishing touches on a remarkable comeback and another trophy for the Maccabi cabinet.
Following the victory, Katash admitted that his team had made life difficult for itself but was thrilled with the character shown in the comeback.
“We struggled with simple plays, just as we have throughout this recent stretch. Shots weren’t falling, and five minutes of losing focus brought them back into the game. It helps when you make shots in basketball, and things finally started to loosen up for us. We showed a lot of character. After a stretch like this, we’re happy for the club and the fans. We deserved this.”
Itoudis was understandably disappointed after watching his team surrender such a commanding advantage.
“We were up 23 points and played solid basketball, but something happened. We couldn’t get a bucket, we gave up 31 points off turnovers, and we couldn’t hit our free throws. It’s tough, but life isn’t easy, and we need to stand up, take the next game as redemption, and bring joy to those who support us.”
MVP Clark credited the team’s belief and determination for completing the turnaround.
“We believed in each other. We were disappointed to go into halftime trailing, but we’ve had a tough season and knew there would be ups and downs. So we just wanted to fight and give everything we had, especially in moments like these. I always have faith. I believe in the players alongside me, and they believe in me.”
Hapoel’s Carrington acknowledged the disappointment but insisted the Reds would quickly turn their attention to the next opportunity, with another showdown against Maccabi looming in the Euroleague on Thursday.
“That was a tough one. We played well in the first half, but then things went the wrong way in the second half. We threw the first punch, and then they threw the punch in the second half, and we didn’t recover. It’s a different game on Thursday in the Euroleague. It stings, and we will go out and try to win it.”
Hapoel Jerusalem remains unbeaten in league play with victory over HaEmek
In Israeli League action, Hapoel Jerusalem defeated Hapoel HaEmek 65-59 to remain unbeaten in league play, improving to 5-0 under Sasa Obradovic.
Second-chance opportunities proved crucial in securing the home victory as the hosts struggled to find a consistent offensive rhythm. Kenny Lofton Jr. scored 13 points, and Jaleen Smith added 11, while CJ Elleby paced HaEmek with 15 points.
Despite the win, Obradovic was far from satisfied.
“I wasn’t happy at all, despite the win. This is the fourth consecutive league game in which we’ve played this poorly. We consider ourselves a good team, and we feel that we can win every game, but we can’t keep giving our opponents a head start. It won’t always work out this way.”
Meanwhile, Hapoel Galil Elyon defeated Hapoel Holon 110-101 in a heated contest, building a commanding advantage behind terrific shooting from Nate Kingz.
Holon’s Adama Sanogo was ejected late in the third quarter, leaving the Purples without their big man for the remainder of the game.
Kingz erupted for 37 points, while Alston Mason added 21 and Maurice Kemp scored 19 to lead Idan Avshalom’s squad. Netanel Artzi paced Holon with 19 points, Sanogo scored 16, and Shahar Amir added 14.
Following the game, Holon head coach Predrag Krunic was dismissed, while sports director Daniel Ravitz resigned.
Also, Ness Ziona cruised to a convincing 111-81 victory over Kiryat Ata for its third win of the campaign and first home victory of the season.
Paul Corsaro’s team took control from the opening minutes, building a commanding 65-38 halftime lead and eventually stretching the margin to 38 points. Josh Christopher scored 26 points, Jacob Wiley added 24, and Noam Dovrat chipped in with 17. David Green and Jordan Cohen each scored 14 for Kiryat Ata.
Elsewhere, Maccabi Rishon Lezion overwhelmed Maccabi Ramat Gan 97-61, racing out to a 30-16 first-quarter lead and never looking back.
Justin Tillman and Idan Zalmanson each scored 16 points and recorded double-digit rebounds, while Chaunce Jenkins added 13.
Finally, Hapoel Eilat edged Hapoel Beersheba 88-86 thanks to a late comeback sparked by Kendale McCullum, Javontae Hawkins and James Dickey, while Maccabi Ashdod clipped Bnei Herzliya 75-72 as Isaiah Hill and Augustin Rubit led the port city’s side to victory.
See more Israeli sports coverage at www.sportsrabbi.com/en
Follow us on GoogleSource: The Jerusalem Post · JOSHUA HALICKMAN
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