Maccabi Tel Aviv tops Hapoel for title

Maccabi Tel Aviv captured its 57th Israel league title late Monday night at Yad Eliyahu as it defeated Hapoel Tel Aviv 82-74 to claim a heated 2-1 finals series win.

The yellow-and-blue struggled as the Reds held onto a slim lead for the first 30 minutes of the game, but Oded Katash’s squad – paced by Roman Sorkin and Jasiel Rivero – came alive in the fourth quarter to take the victory and raise the championship plate for the second season in a row to the delight of the Maccabi faithful.

Sorkin, who was named the game’s MVP, scored 19 points, Rivero added 16 points while Lorenzo Brown and Josh Nebo each scored 12 points in the decisive win. Tyler Ennis led Hapoel 17 points as Tomer Ginat and Xavier Munford each scored 15 points in the loss.

“This wasn’t an easy season,” Katash said in somewhat of an understatement. “After the Euroleague season ended, we were really beat up and that’s why we lost the State Cup. We paid a heavy price for many reasons this year, with the players and the entire situation. Due to all of the challenges that we faced, this really makes the championship so wonderful for us.”

Katash expounded on the physical and mental toll of the campaign, which began just before October 7 and its ensuing aftermath.

“Personally I was also done,” the bench boss continued. “Almost 90 games and all of the energy was against us, but we were still there in this series. Wade Baldwin [who had been injured] asked to play and showed tremendous leadership after being out since the Euroleague playoffs. We built on the base that we put together last season and we were able to do it. But now we have a very challenging summer in front of us.”

Heart in Gaza

Sorkin, who was also the league MVP, also spoke about the season but began by talking about the hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza.

“Our heart is with them and we will not forget that. This has been a very difficult year for the entire country and we have all been a part of it, including us, but sports are really nothing compared to what the nation and the hostages are experiencing. We will not forget this for an instant.

“We’re happy to be crowned champions and it was certainly a tough campaign,” added the Belarusian-born Israeli. “There’s nothing sweeter than this to end the season, but like I said, the most important thing is for all the hostages to return home.

On Monday, the tip-off to Game 3 was pushed back 30 minutes as Hapoel Tel Aviv fans battled with the police outside of Yad Eliyahu and continued inside the facility as the contest needed to be halted a number of times in the second half.Hapoel supporters lit over a dozen flares and lobbed a number of them onto a section of Maccabi fans sitting below them, which caused a lengthy delay as the fire department needed to tend to the fires that broke out in the stands.

Munford, Ennis and Jaylen Hoard took the bull by the horns for Hapoel in the opening frame to grab a 24-21 lead after 10 minutes.

Rafi Menco went from deep to begin the second quarter, Sorkin added a basket, while Tamir Blatt and Sorkin went from downtown during an 11-0 Maccabi run that gave it the lead. Ginat came back with a triple, before Rivero and Hoard traded buckets as the yellow-and-blue took a 34-29 lead with five minutes left in the half.

Still, Ginat, Hoard and Ennis continued to press and the Reds closed the gap to 39-38 at halftime.The momentum continued as Munford was active in the third quarter, along with Braian Angola, to give Hapoel a 54-48 lead, before Sorkin, Brown and Nebo got busy.

By the end of the third quarter, Maccabi had pulled back to within one point (55-54) and then put the pedal to the metal.Blatt went from deep, Brown dropped deuce and Sorkin dunked to begin the fourth quarter and put the yellow-and-blue in front. Bar Timor came back with a bucket for Hapoel, but Rivero scored in the paint and then dunked off an alley-oop from Brown to give Maccabi a 66-59 lead with five minutes to go in regulation time.

Rivero scored yet again, and while Ennis came back with points, Sorkin went from deep to counter. Munford put in a layup but a massive Nebo dunk put the cherry on top of the yellow-and-blue’s second straight league title.

“We wanted to win the Euroleague and we felt that we could, but we came up short there and in the State Cup, and we have to give credit to our opponents,” said Sorkin.”But we believed in ourselves and we couldn’t lose this championship.”