Hapoel Jerusalem remained perfect on the EuroCup season, defeating Aris 84-73 in a highly anticipated showdown between two of the top teams in the standings to improve to 6-0.
After a tightly contested opening quarter, Vassilis Spanoulis’s squad took a 40-35 lead into halftime. However, Sasa Obradovic’s Reds responded with a 14-0 run in the third quarter to take a 57-56 advantage heading into the final frame.
In the fourth, Kenny Lofton Jr., Shake Milton and Jaleen Smith came up with key baskets and converted their free throws down the stretch to seal the win.
Lofton led Jerusalem with 22 points, Milton added 19, Lorenzo Brown scored 11 and Smith chipped in with 10. For Aris, Adam Mokoka paced the visitors with 13 points, while EJ Liddell added 12.
After the game, coach Sasa Obradovic spoke about the win.
“Position in the standings doesn’t mean anything at this moment, but it was good to win. We struggled at certain moments because of Aris’s tough defense, but we played great defense in the second half. Defense won us the game, and this was a team victory, not a Milton or Lofton victory. But the real credit goes to these fans, who made things easier for us with their support.”
Lorenzo Brown also reflected on the win.
“The energy for this victory came from the fans, and we fed off them. They carried us a long way tonight. We knew Aris would push and fight to win the game, but we wanted it more. As for me, I’m still finding my place. It’s a process, and I’m still adjusting to my role.”
Milton added: “It was a total team effort, and we locked into the game plan. When things got stagnant, we were able to pull it together and notch the win.”
Bnei Herzliya remain last in Basketball Champions League
Meanwhile, Bnei Herzliya fell 101-89 on the road to Bonn on Wednesday night in Basketball Champions League action, dropping to 0-3 in Group H and remaining in last place.
Yehu Orland’s squad surrendered 19 points in less than five minutes and quickly found itself facing a double-digit deficit.
However, led by Dusty Hannahs, Herzliya battled back and went into halftime tied at 48–48 after even taking the lead.
The third quarter remained competitive, with the Israelis trailing just 75-71 heading into the final period. However, Bonn pulled away in the fourth quarter, building a lead of as many as 15 points to secure the victory.
Hannahs led Herzliya with 20 points, while Noah Carter and DJ Brewton added 13 points apiece. Joel Aminu paced Bonn with a game-high 23 points.
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