Playoffs tip off with four last-eight series

The Israeli Basketball Premier League’s playoffs opened up this week as all four of the best-of-5 quarterfinal series tipped-off.

Maccabi Tel Aviv crushed Ness Ziona 109-83 to take a 1-0 quarterfinal series lead.

Oded Katash’s squad wasted no time jumping out to the early lead as Lorenzo Brown, Josh Nebo and John DiBartolomeo led the attack to help the yellow-and-blue to the 26-point victory. Game 2 is slated for Friday at Lev HaMoshava in Ness Ziona while Game 3 will be back at Yad Eliyahu on Sunday.

Brown scored 18 points, DiBartolomeo added 15 points and Jake Cohen chipped in with 14 points in the win. Isaiah Whitehead scored 15 points and Rawle Alkins dropped 13 points for Ness Ziona in the loss.

“I think overall I’m satisfied with the result and the way that we played,” Katash said after the game. “In the first quarter we were focused. It’s the start of the playoffs and every game is important. I think the game reached a margin that could cause us to relax and be complacent. We need to stay focused. I think Ness Ziona is a better team than the result indicates.”

“We came into our first playoff game and Maccabi came as they know how to for the first game,” Meir Tapiro said of his Ness Ziona squad. “They did good work, us less so. We’ll look forward to the next game.”

Nebo reflected on the game.

“We understand that it’s a series and not a one off whether we win by 20 points or two points, it’s only one game.”In the capital city, Hapoel Jerusalem got by Hapoel Holon 93-86 in overtime to take a 1-0 quarterfinal series lead.

Levi Randolph kept the Reds in front for the majority of the game but a furious comeback led by Justin Smith and Shachar Amir drew the Purples even at 80-80 at the end of the regulation, sending the contest into an extra session.

From there Yovel Zoosman scored a pair of crucial buckets while Randolph did the same to give Yonatan Alon’s squad the hard-earned win.

Randolph scored 30 points, Speedy Smith added 17 points while JaCorey Williams and Noam Dovrat each scored 10 points a piece in the win. Justin Smith led Holon with 18 points as Tahjere McCall and Shachar Amir each scored 14 points in the loss.

“We played well but we made our lives difficult in the fourth quarter,” Jerusalem’s Alon said. “I have to give credit to Holon for how they came and played that quarter and they were able to play physically. They came out much more aggressive at the start of the game and I told the guys that we had to react. I really believe in the guys and they are winners who know how to win games. That’s how we won the game because they are winners and that’s what worked.”

“It was great to be in the game at the end and the matchup really began in the first few minutes when we were up by double digits,” Holon coach Amit Sherf said. “Jerusalem has a lot of tools but Justin Smith was key for us as we battled the entire game through. This is a series and I have to see what we can do better in the next game.”

Randolph also spoke about the overtime victory

“We turned up the defense in overtime and we were able to get some stops, get to the free-throw line which was key down the stretch.”

At the Drive-In Arena, Hapoel Tel Aviv eased past Hapoel Haifa 97-66 to snatch a 1-0 lead in their quarterfinal series.The hosts came out strong as John Holland scored at will to help the Reds to a 48-30 lead and never looked back to chalk up the win. Holland led the way for Tel Aviv with 27 points, Jaylen Hoard added 19 points and Isaiah Miles scored 13 points in the victory while Alex Hamilton and Marcus Bingham each scored 15 points for Haifa in the loss.

“We didn’t start well but John Holland came in time to help us improve offensively,” Hapoel Tel Aviv coach Stefanos Dedas said. “There is no real importance by the wide margin because every playoff game is a new contest and they each begin 0-0.”

“There’s nothing to do now, we just have to know how to put this game behind us and look ahead to the next,” Haifa coach Guy Goodes said. “We needed more focus, more aggressiveness, those are the basics. We turned over the ball 19 times and we have to react quickly.”

“Everything begins with defense and it was important for us to begin the series here with a totally different playoff atmosphere,” said the game’s MVP, Holland. “It feels like it’s been a year since we played at the Drive-In. The fans pushing us was incredible and it’s great to play here.”

Also, Ironi Kiryat Ata swiped home-court advantage away from Maccabi Ramat Gan with a thrilling 95-94 win.

Amin Stevens and James Batemon played superbly throughout the 40 minutes and they were able to quell Nuni Omot and JP Tokoto, but it was Akia Pruitt’s late 3-point play that created a big enough gap late in the game to hand the visitors the surprise victory.

Stevens scored 26 points, Batemon added 22 points while Ben Saraf scored 14 points in the win for Kiryat Ata. Ramat Gan’s Omot and Tokoto scored 17 points apiece in defeat.

“It was a game like a playoff is meant to be, against a great and deep team,” Kiryat Ata coach Sharon Avrahami said.

“We came back from a double-digit deficit, which was our first mental test. We then controlled the game, but let them get back into it. We showed a lot of character, but we know it’s just the beginning of the series.”

“We knew it would be a difficult game and their two central players caused damage and we will need to make a number of adjustments on Thursday,” said Ramat Gan bench boss Shmulik Brenner.