Hapoel Tel Aviv absolutely demolished Maccabi Tel Aviv 105-87 in a one-sided Israeli League derby, as Vasilije Micic carved up the yellow-and-blue with a spectacular shooting performance.
The two rivals are set to meet three times over the next two weeks, with the Winner Cup final on tap next Monday night, followed by a Euroleague contest. But this opening clash belonged entirely to the Reds.
Hapoel came out firing and never really looked back, using its three-point shooting to dismantle Oded Katash’s squad. Micic was simply unstoppable, drilling eight triples on his way to 31 points, while Antonio Blakeney scored at will. Tai Odiase controlled the paint, and Tamir Blatt enjoyed a particularly sweet night against his former team, knocking down three-pointers to help Dimitrios Itoudis’s squad cruise to an emphatic victory.
Micic led all scorers with 31 points, while Blakeney added 18 and Odiase chipped in with 17. Blatt, Amir Coffey and Tomer Ginat each finished with nine points for the winners. On the Maccabi side, Yam Madar scored 18 points, Roman Sorkin added 15, and Bonzie Colson finished with 14 in the defeat.
“I was pleased with many things,” Hapoel head coach Dimitrios Itoudis said. “Congratulations to the players, as we set the tone from the very beginning, finished with just 11 turnovers, and shot well from the three-point range. We also tried to improve our rebounding.
Blatt showed us what he could do
“We are trying to do what is best for the club. I’m happy we were also able to give Tamir Blatt some minutes. He showed what he can do on both ends of the floor. He hasn’t had much time to practice with us. We had a good game plan, and my players had confidence in it.”
Maccabi head coach Oded Katash was left to reflect on another difficult night for his team.
“This is an unpleasant situation. The game was not a pleasant experience, especially in front of the fans we have missed so much. We know how much we have disappointed them. I am the first to take responsibility. I am quite sure I speak on behalf of the players and the coaching staff as well. We are all sorry for this period and for this game.”
The game MVP, Micic, was asked about his performance, which brought back memories of his Euroleague MVP days at Anadolu Efes.
“I don’t know if I would compare this to my days at Anadolu Efes. I’m happy to be performing like this. I always enjoy playing in a derby. My personal goal is to improve as much as I possibly can. For me, every game matters. I don’t look at one game any differently from another.”
Maccabi Tel Aviv captain John DiBartolomeo also shared his thoughts on the loss.
“It was a tough game for us, and we’ve been playing poorly of late. When we are not playing well, our defense struggles, and then it goes from there. We need to come out aggressive from the start and impose our game, and if we can do that, our defense will also benefit.”
Both teams came out shooting
Both teams came out firing from beyond the arc, as Colson knocked down a pair of triples and Sorkin added another for Maccabi. Micic answered from downtown for Hapoel, with Ginat and Bar Timor also getting in on the action. Armando Bacot scored inside, Blakeney connected from long distance, and John DiBartolomeo answered with a triple of his own.
But it was Blatt who delivered another blow against his former team, draining a three-pointer to close out the opening quarter with Hapoel holding a 26-22 advantage.
Madar and Oz Blayzer traded three-pointers to open the second quarter before Odiase went to work inside, converting a pair of three-point plays. Blatt continued to punish his former team from deep, while Madar responded with a pair of jumpers.
Sorkin and Blakeney traded triples, but Blakeney continued to pile on the points as Hapoel began to pull away. It was a dominant offensive display from Itoudis’s squad, which headed into the halftime break with a commanding 59-47 lead.
Coffey opened the third quarter with a pair of quick baskets before Micic connected on two more triples. DiBartolomeo answered from the corner, but there was simply no slowing down the Serbian star. Micic buried three more shots from beyond the arc, while Ginat added to the scoring as Hapoel continued to run away with the contest.
By the end of the third quarter, the Reds had built an overwhelming 83-63 advantage.
Blatt opened the fourth quarter with yet another three-pointer against his former club, while Madar and Keaton Wallace tried to get Maccabi back into the contest. But Odiase threw down a put-back dunk, and Micic added another pair of triples to put the finishing touches on Hapoel’s dominant 18-point victory.
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