Maccabi Tel Aviv edges Hapoel Jerusalem in overtime thriller

In a nail-biting Israeli Classico, Maccabi Tel Aviv edged out Hapoel Jerusalem with a hard-fought 112-105 overtime victory at the Pais Arena. The game was a testament to the high level of competition in the Israeli Basketball Premier League, with both teams showcasing exceptional talent and determination. While Maccabi Tel Aviv ultimately prevailed, the win was bittersweet due to the injury sustained by key player Lonnie Walker IV, who dislocated his finger and faces a 2-3 week absence.

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I’m very happy that we won one of these types of games. You saw some great plays by great players with a tremendous amount of quality from both sides. There is also a bit of luck involved as well. There were plenty of matchups also in this game, but in overtime, we went with more pick-and-roll, where Roman Sorkin was able to make an impact. This was an excellent game played at a very high level in a great competitive league.

Roman Sorkin emerged as the hero for Maccabi Tel Aviv, delivering a clutch performance when it mattered most. His field goal in the final moments of regulation forced overtime, and he continued his impactful play in the extra period, helping to seal the win. Teammates Lonnie Walker and Oshae Brissett also contributed significantly with 25 and 22 points respectively, while Jimmy Clark added 19. For Hapoel Jerusalem, Jared Harper and Justin Smith put up strong performances with 26 and 23 points, respectively, but it wasn't enough to overcome Maccabi's late surge.

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The end of the game was decided by some terrific individual plays, and that’s how games go sometimes in overtime. We are missing Austin Wiley, who is an excellent player, and also Yovel Zoosman, so it’s hard to judge Jerusalem as is with the team that we are playing with now. I hope that we can get to the playoffs with home court advantage despite the recent losses.

Maccabi Tel Aviv coach Oded Katash expressed his satisfaction with the win, acknowledging the high quality of play from both sides and the element of luck involved in such close contests. He highlighted the team's strategic shift to more pick-and-roll plays in overtime, which allowed Sorkin to make a decisive impact. Hapoel Jerusalem's coach, Yonatan Alon, lamented the loss, attributing it to crucial individual plays in overtime and the absence of key players like Austin Wiley and Yovel Zoosman. Despite the setback, Alon remains hopeful about securing a playoff home-court advantage.

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It was a game of runs, and there were some things that we had to clean up, but it was good for the guys to get through some adversity and take the win.