The BSL Final Four starts in a mere three weeks, but for Hapoel Holon even that's too far away.
By ALLON SINAI
The BSL Final Four starts in a mere three weeks, but for Hapoel Holon even that's too far away. Miki Dorsman's team has been in scintillating form in the last few months, winning 11 of its last 12 games and doing so by an amazing 14.9 points per game.
Holon's only defeat in the last three months was by one point at Maccabi Tel Aviv, a loss the team avenged two weeks ago with a home victory against the perennial champion.
On Monday, Holon hosts Hapoel Jerusalem, which ended a five game losing streak last week, defeating Bnei Hasharon 77-69 in new coach Ziv Erez's first game in charge.
Jerusalem is in a three horse race for the fourth and final spot in the season ending tournament and with just four games to play in the season is in desperate need of points to close in on Ironi Ashkelon and Ironi Nahariya.
Ashkelon lost 88-84 at Maccabi Rishon Lezion last Thursday, while Nahariya faces a tough road game in Ra'anana against Bnei Hasharon on Monday.
Nahariya has won three straight games since Roni Bosani took the reigns, including an 88-87 win over Tel Aviv last week.
It wasn't that long ago that Bnei Hasharon was the hottest team in the league, but Effi Birenboim's team has lost its last three encounters, failing to score more than 75 points in any of those defeats.
The team's good start to the season, however, means its recent defeats don't endanger its place in the Final Four. Nahariya will be hoping to take advantage of the fact Bnei Hasharon doesn't really have anything to play for on Monday and that it will be without the injured Meir Tapiro and Cookie Belcher.