Hapoel Tel Aviv defeated Paris 93-82 in Euroleague action this week as Antonio Blakeney helped the Reds pick up the victory in what was a home game in Sofia, Bulgaria, due to the current war with Iran.
The French squad jumped out to an early lead thanks to Nadir Hifi and Jared Rhoden, but Blakeney, along with Elijah Bryant and Dan Oturu, were too much to handle as Dimitrios Itoudis’s team chalked up the victory. The win moved Hapoel’s record to 19-11 as it remained in fifth place ahead of a duel with Bologna late Thursday night back in Sofia.
Blakeney scored 24 points, Bryant added 18 points, and Oturu scored 15 points in the win, while Hifi scored 16 points and Rhoden put in 13 points in the loss.
“The first half we gave up 53 points, and that was a lot,” Itoudis said following the win. “But in the second half, we gave up only 29 points, and we played amazing one-on-one defense and executed really well.
Blakeney, the game’s MVP, also spoke about the victory.
“It’s about ending each game with a win and not being the top scorer or anything like that. We have to stay prepared, take care of our bodies, and believe in each other. We have a deep roster, and any given night, someone else can have a great game.”
Hapoel Jerusalem loses to Turk Telekom
Meanwhile, Hapoel Jerusalem fell to Turk Telekom 91-90 as Kyle Allman hit a 3-pointer with under two seconds left to cancel out Roi Huber’s triple from way downtown in the EuroCup quarterfinal to snatch the slim victory.
The defeat eliminated the capital city Reds from the competition and ended their hope of punching their ticket to the Euroleague by winning the EuroCup, as Hapoel Tel Aviv did last season.
Yonatan Alon’s squad was in control, with Jared Harper doing as he pleased. However, as the game moved into the fourth quarter, foul trouble got the best of the Reds. Harper, Cassius Winston, Austin Wiley, and Anthony Lamb all fouled out, and Erdem Can’s team took advantage to take the lead and then win the game on Allman’s triple to punch its ticket to the semifinals and end Jerusalem’s European season.
Harper scored 29 points to lead Jerusalem, Wiley added 16 points, and Yovel Zoosman put in 10 points, while Allman and Jaleen Smith each scored 25 points and Uros Trifunovic chipped in with 17 points for Turk.
Alon spoke about the loss.
“It’s very disappointing as to how it happened. I really have nothing else to say; there were some weird things that went on and we had to handle it as this is a competitive sport, but we lost. The responsibility is on us and we lost. It’s very tough.”
Also, Hapoel Holon fell to Le Mans 102-92 to finish Champions League Round of 16 play with an 0-6 record and close out its continental campaign on a low.
The French squad came out flying and took a 21-5 lead in the first quarter and never looked back to take the win.
See more Israeli sports coverage at www.sportsrabbi.com/en