Hapoel Jerusalem impressively rolled over Maccabi Tel Aviv at Pais Arena in the capital, securing a decisive 101-84 victory in the season’s first Israeli Classico.
Jared Harper continued his stellar season with a 30-point performance, leading the Reds to triumph.
Yonatan Alon’s squad stormed out of the gate as Gaby Chachashvili, Yovel Zoosman, and Harper propelled the hosts to a commanding 29-18 lead by the end of the first quarter. Despite efforts from David DeJulius, Levi Randolph, and Roman Sorkin, Maccabi could only narrow the gap to 46-38 by halftime.
Veteran forward Chris Johnson shined in the third quarter, helping Jerusalem extend their lead to 78-60. Harper closed out the game with an offensive flurry in the final frame.
Harper scored 30 points, Zoosman added 17, and Johnson chipped in 15 for the win. Randolph led Maccabi with 22 points, while DeJulius and Sorkin contributed 14 each.
“We have the best crowd in the country, and this is what happens,” Jerusalem coach Yonatan Alon said.
“The players prepared even more for this game. I’m not one to exaggerate. We suffered a painful loss to Hamburg, and I didn’t overreact then, so I won’t do so now. At this stage of the season, we need to win and keep improving.”Maccabi coach Oded Katash criticized his team’s performance.
Slamming the team’s performance
“Our gameplay was awful in every way. Offensively and defensively, we weren’t good. In previous games, we played well, but here, we couldn’t do much of anything. Credit to Jerusalem – they were more aggressive from start to finish. We’re going through a tough time and need to pull ourselves together.”
Jerusalem captain Yovel Zoosman reflected on the significance of the win. “I try to lead on and off the court to help the team. A Classico victory isn’t just another win. We’re happy today, but tomorrow is a new day.”
DeJulius addressed the loss. “Fatigue doesn’t matter. We need urgency for 40 minutes every day. There are no excuses. We must figure this out and stick together, as Maccabi has always done.”
In other action, Hapoel Tel Aviv overpowered Elitzur Netanya 96-70, with Joe Ragland starring in his Israeli league debut this season.
Despite a strong start by Netanya, paced by Kyler Edwards, Ragland directed the Reds’ offense while Bruno Caboclo dominated inside, giving the visitors a 50-40 halftime lead.
Guy Palatin opened the second half with four three-pointers, while Tomer Ginat and Marcus Foster sealed the win.
Caboclo scored 19 points, Ginat added 16, and Ragland contributed 15 points and 8 assists. Edwards led Netanya with 26 points, and Eric Romero added 14.
“We played seriously against a young team,” Hapoel coach Dimitrios Itoudis said. “Netanya brought energy, but we controlled the pace. With 32 assists, players like Caboclo and Motley became secondary creators. Our defense was solid, and the atmosphere felt like a home game.”
Netanya coach Idan Avshalom acknowledged the challenge.
“Guy Palatin’s shooting broke the game open. The league is divided – Maccabi, Hapoel Tel Aviv, and Hapoel Jerusalem are in one tier, and the rest are below. Edwards played well, and we aim to improve further.”
Also, Maccabi Ramat Gan edged Hapoel Holon 90-88 in a clash of Basketball Champions League representatives.
Shmulik Brenner’s team took control early, as Amin Stevens and Kendale McCullum outperformed Elijah Mitrou-Long and Mike Davis Jr. to secure the win.
Stevens scored 27 points, McCullum added 23, and Isaiah Miles chipped in 15. Mitrou-Long led Holon with 25 points, Davis Jr. contributed 21, and Idan Zalmanson had 13.
Meanwhile, Hapoel Beersheba mounted a fourth-quarter comeback to defeat Hapoel Gilboa/Galil 83-78.
Ish El-Amin and Gur Lavie led the hosts early, but Iverson Molinar, Spencer Weisz, and Ron Zipper sparked a late surge for Beer Sheva, aided by perfect free-throw shooting.
Molinar scored 27 points, Weisz added 13, and Zipper, Paul Scruggs, and Ray Spalding each scored 9. El-Amin led Gilboa with 23 points, and Lavie added 17.
Finally, Ness Ziona routed Hapoel Haifa 86-68, led by Bryce Brown’s standout performance.
Darnell Edge started hot, while Brown took over, scoring at will from inside and out. Ricky Lindo and Edge supported the effort, giving Nes Ziona a 45-29 halftime lead. Despite efforts by Tyler Bey and JaKeenan Gant, Brown and Lindo sealed the victory.
Brown scored 24 points, Lindo added 19, and Edge contributed 12. Jon Davis led Haifa with 15 points.
“We returned to basics after our last game,” Ness Ziona coach Amit Sherf said. “Haifa is intense, so we pursued every ball. Once we settled in, we controlled the game and secured the win.”
Haifa assistant coach Ilan Amar pointed to weaknesses.“We lacked offensive rebounds and turned the ball over too much. With Matt Coleman’s return and a new combo guard, we hope to improve ball handling.”
This article was originally published at www.jpost.com
