Local Hoops: Jerusalem travels to Haifa after stunning win over Maccabi TA

Maccabi Tel Aviv hosts Maccabi Givat Shmuel on Sunday, looking to recover from its complete collapse in Jerusalem.

By ALLON SINAI
timmy bowers 248 88 (photo credit: Asaf Kliger)
timmy bowers 248 88
(photo credit: Asaf Kliger)
Just 72 hours after its stunning victory over Maccabi Tel Aviv, Hapoel Jerusalem faces yet another stern test when it visits Maccabi Haifa on Sunday. Hapoel will be brimming with confidence ahead of Sunday's BSL game at Romema after outplaying Tel Aviv in every facet of the game at Malha and winning 91-77. Nevertheless, Jerusalem coach Guy Goodes was in a cautious mood before his team's trip up north. "We played extraordinarily well against Maccabi and we deserved to win. But these are just two more league points and we've got to keep our feet on the ground," the former Maccabi assistant coach stressed. Haifa was also in action on Thursday, defeating Hapoel Galil Elyon/Gilboa to advance to the quarterfinals of the State Cup. Avi Ashkenazi's team will, however, be entering Sunday's game on the back of its first league defeat, after losing to Galil at Gan Ner last Saturday. Maccabi Tel Aviv hosts Maccabi Givat Shmuel on Sunday, looking to recover from its complete collapse in Jerusalem. "We got our butts kicked and a team of men needs to know how to recover from this situation," Maccabi coach Effi Birenboim, who according to some reports will soon be out of a job, said on Saturday . A home game against the small-budgeted Givat Shmuel should be the perfect confidence booster for Maccabi ahead of Thursday's crucial Euroleague game against Unicaja Malaga, although Oren Aharoni's newly promoted side is entering the game on a three-game win streak. In the first of this week's BSL games on Saturday, Bnei Hasharon defeated Ironi Kiryat Ata 82-67 in Ra'anana. Bnei Hasharon began the game with a 12-2 run and all but clinched the win after a mere seven minutes when Ori Itzhaki's basket gave the team a 24-6 lead. Kiryat Ata managed to close within four points (67-63) with five minutes to play in the game, but the hosts scored 15 of the last 19 points to clinch a third straight win under new coach Ariel Beit-Halachmi. Cookie Belcher scored 16 points for the winners, with Itzhaki adding 15 points and Ousmane Cisse contributing 14 points and 12 rebounds. Niv Berkowitz scored 17 points for Kiryat Ata, which has now lost four straight games. Also Sunday, Miki Dorsman guides the winless Maccabi Rishon Lezion for the first time at Ashklon and Ironi Ramat Gan hosts Ironi Nahariya. On Monday, Hapoel Holon hosts Oded Katash and his Galil side.