Hapoel Tel Aviv downed Baskonia 114-89 in Euroleague action on Tuesday night in Sofia, Bulgaria, as seven players finished in double digits, led by Elijah Bryant’s 24 points, as the Reds cruised to the victory.
The win moved Dimitrios Itoudis’s squad to 8-2 on the season, and it will now prepare to face Fenerbahce on Thursday night in Munich due to the security situation in Turkey.
Dan Oturu and Colin Malcolm both got busy for Hapoel Tel Aviv as Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Matteo Spagnolo, and Rodions Kurucs answered for Baskonia. Still, a Chris Jones 3-point heave at the buzzer gave the Reds a 26-24 lead at the end of the opening period.
Jones continued finding the bottom of the basket in the second quarter; Bryant and Antonio Blakeney also scored. Markus Howard and Luwawu-Cabarrot responded for Baskonia, but Vaislije Micic put in a 3-point play and drained a triple to give Tel Aviv a 58-48 advantage.
Malcolm and Johnathan Motley both went from the inside and outside to get the third quarter underway. Hamidou Diallo scored as did Luwawu-Cabarrot, but Bryant kept filling the basket with points aplenty to maintain Hapoel’s gap.
Maccabi drops to 2-8; Hapoel Jerusalem, Hapoel Tel Aviv secure wins
Kobi Simons tried to keep Baskonia close, but Blakeney scored a pair of baskets to keep Hapoel in front 86-74 after 30 minutes.
Jones and Blakeney scored to open the final frame, Mamadi Diakite responded, while both Guy Palatin and Bar Timor went from downtown for their first Euroleague points. Tyler Ennis also scored a trio from beyond the arc for Maccabi to wrap up the blowout win.
In addition to Bryant’s 24 points, he also grabbed nine rebounds, while Jones and Blakeney each scored 15 points in the win. Luwawu-Cabarrot scored 19 points to lead Baskonia in the loss.
“We witnessed two different quarters in regards to our defense,” Itoudis said after the contest. “Offensively, we were there consistently as we controlled the game and took what was given from their defense. Although they have size, our guards found a way to create all the time with good spacing.”
“Defensively, it was a tough night for us,” Baskonia coach Paolo Galbiati said. “We were inconsistent, and they scored a lot of midrange pullups. Credit to them, but with this type of defense, we can’t compete. They are an unbelievable team, but I believe that we can compete with every team, so I am a little mad right now.”
Hapoel’s Ish Wainright spoke about the win.
“We locked in on the game plan. Coach challenges us every day on defense, and we took that challenge, but now it’s time to move on to the next game in this double week. Dan Oturu is a great player and will continue to get better each and every game.”
Oturu himself also discussed the victory.
“We knew that Baskonia is a great and talented team despite what their record says. Offensively, they play hard, and defensively, we had to be the aggressors from the start, and that is what leads to extra possessions as we crashed the glass.”
Meanwhile, Maccabi Tel Aviv fell to Fenerbahce 84-75 as the yellow-and-blue came all the way back from being 20 points down to take the lead, but couldn’t hold on to it as time wound down and the reigning Euroleague champs took the win.
The loss dropped Maccabi’s record to 2-8 in EuroLeague play, with a date with Baskonia up next on Thursday night.
Wade Baldwin scored 17 points, Devon Hall added 15 points, and Talen Horton-Tucker dropped 12 points in the win. Roman Sorkin scored 20 points to lead Maccabi, while Jaylen Hoard put in 15 points in the defeat.
“I’m proud of how we came back into the game,” Maccabi Tel Aviv coach Oded Katash began. “We stayed there even though we couldn’t buy a shot in the first half. When we were down, we were there, and that is very important. Again, we had a chance to win the game. In a double week it’s always tricky and I will need to see who has the energy to play, including those who didn’t get into the flow of things in this game.”
Maccabi’s Will Rayman spoke about the defeat and what the team can take away from it.
“We are good enough to play at this level and compete and win games, but we are just missing the extra, closing the games, and the push to get us over the hump.”
Also, Hapoel Jerusalem cruised past Neptunas 110-93 as Cassius Winston starred in the win to help the Reds improve their EuroCup record to 5-2 with the victory.
Jalen Harper began the game well for Jerusalem, while Khadeen Carrington and Winston also scored. Austin Wiley, Antonio Lamb, and Yovel Zoosman were all busy for Hapoel, but Zane Waterman, Arnas Berucka, Mindaugus Girdziunas, and Donatas Tarolis helped the visitors take the lead. However, down the stretch, Winston kept scoring while Harper also scored some important buckets to close out the win.
Winston scored 35 points, Harper added 21 points and Anthony Lamb dropped 17 points in the win while Waterman scored 18 points and both Berucka and Girdziunas put in 17 points for Neptunas in the loss.
Hapoel Jerusalem bench boss Yonatan Alon spoke about what changed the complexion of the game in the second half, helping his side take the win.
“My players decided they wanted to go out and play defense for the last 14 minutes. We scored, and Cassius was amazing. Not every game will be like this, but we have the character.”
Winston, the game’s MVP, spoke about the victory.
“Shout out to my teammates and coach for allowing me to be myself, make plays, score, and pass, and they gave me a great responsibility to help the team get the win.”
Finally, Bnei Herzliya fell to Trapani 101-88 in Champions League action as Elijah Stewart and Chinanu Onuaku’s efforts weren’t enough to help their squad take the win.
Stewart scored 20 points, and Onuaku added 19 points and 10 boards, but Timmy Allen was unstoppable for Trapani with 24 points, and Matt Hurt put in 18 points in the win.