Less than 36 hours after both Israeli Euroleague representatives picked up huge victories, war broke out with Iran, which sent the Israeli sports scene into chaos.
Hapoel Tel Aviv finally snapped its five-game losing streak, while Maccabi Tel Aviv recorded an important win that will keep it in the postseason race as their respective campaigns head into March.
However, with the outbreak of war, the Reds’ home game against Paris this coming Tuesday was postponed, while the Euroleague derby between Maccabi and Hapoel will not take place in Israel and may also be postponed.
Both the local basketball and soccer leagues have been put on hold for the time being, with many of the team’s foreign players heading abroad, primarily through Jordan, until things quiet down in the region. Some important players and teams have decided to stay put in the Holy Land for the time being until more concrete plans are made.
During the FIBA International break, many foreign basketball players were already on vacation outside the country.
The Israeli basketball National Team played in Cyprus on Friday night and crushed the hosts 94-54, with Yam Madar starring.
The two teams were slated to play again on Sunday night, but several Hapoel Tel Aviv players were en route back to Israel on Saturday morning, and their flight had to be turned back to Larnaca. At this time, Hapoel is looking to return to Sofia, Bulgaria, where it had played the Euroleague season before returning to Israel, while Maccabi will return to Belgrade, where it has been based since the October 7, 2023, war with Hamas broke out.
Hapoel Tel Aviv in Euroleague
In Euroleague action, Hapoel Tel Aviv downed Milano 92-86, with Elijah Bryant, Vasilije Micic, and Dan Oturu all helping the Reds end their skid with the home victory at Yad Eliyahu. The win improved Dimitrios Itoudis’s squad’s Euroleague record to 17-11 and kept it in a playoff spot.
“We were in control of the game from the beginning through the end,” Itoudis began. “We had some significant lapses on the defensive end in the last five minutes in the second quarter, where we gave up 23 points, which was too much. But we changed our defense to limit their guards, which is what we did.”
Maccabi Tel Aviv defeated Monaco 91-86 as Lonnie Walker starred in his Euroleague return to help the yellow-and-blue to the road win in the Principality.
With the victory, Oded Katash’s squad improved to 14-15 to remain in 13th place, but moved to just a pair of games in the win column in order to book a place in the Play-In postseason round.
Katash shared his thoughts on the victory, “This was a big win, it wasn’t easy. In the first half, we were good offensively. Both they and we made adjustments heading into the second half, which created a very physical and aggressive game. There were a lot of hard-to-officiate calls, but we stayed in it. We were focused, something we didn’t do at the start of the season. I’m very happy. We have an amazing crowd. They are the main reason we are where we are and why we are making this run right now. It’s thanks to our fans.”
Walker, the game MVP, also spoke about the victory.
“Just resilience. I think we found our groove this second round as a team, and we continue to fight. We did well holding the possession and holding the lead when it was one or two points. We push each other in practices, and we put ourselves in uncomfortable situations, and this translates into the game. But thanks go to all the fans, as it felt like a home game. Their spirit and loudness kept us focused and with the spirit that we needed. Truly grateful to have this set of people.” https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/sports/article-888464
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