Maccabi Tel Aviv drops 120 on Galil Elyon as Hapoel Jerusalem, Hapoel Tel Aviv claim basketball win

Maccabi Tel Aviv opened its Israeli Basketball Premier League campaign in emphatic fashion, demolishing Hapoel Galil Elyon 120-93 after storming to a 41-10 lead by the end of the first quarter and never looking back.

With Euroleague CEO Chus Bueno and Chief Basketball Operations Officer Diego Guillen in attendance, the yellow-and-blue showcased its offensive depth, with 10 players finishing with at least eight points. Yam Madar scored with ease early on, while Jimmy Clark connected from beyond the arc to help Maccabi establish its commanding advantage.

Clark led the way with 16 points, TJ Leaf added 15, and Will Rayman and Keaton Wallace scored 14 apiece. Maurice Kemp led Galil Elyon with 27 points.

Maccabi coach Oded Katash was pleased with the performance and the atmosphere at home.

“It was fun to start the season off and to play at home in front of our fans,” Katash said. “I could feel them, as could the players and the staff, especially with the Euroleague executives in the stands, so I hope the games will come back here soon.

A challenging double-week coming up for Maccabi

“We hit our shots from the outset, and that was due to the defense we played from the get-go. We split up the minutes and gave some players, including Yam Madar and Jaylen Hoard, some time off. But we now have a very challenging double week coming up.”

Meanwhile, Hapoel Jerusalem cruised to a 92-69 victory over Hapoel Holon at Toto Hall in the opening round’s marquee matchup. Jerusalem led 16-15 after the first quarter and 43-37 at halftime before pulling away in the second half.

Kenny Lofton Jr. and Jalen Smith scored 15 points apiece, while Nimrod Levi and Eitan Burg added 12 each. Adama Sanogo led Holon with 20 points before being ejected in the fourth quarter, while Shahar Amir scored 13 and Rivaldo Soares added 11.

Jerusalem coach Sasa Obradovic praised his team’s defensive improvement and the contribution of its Israeli players.

“This is a great win. First of all, I want to thank our amazing fans. They were our sixth man,” Obradovic said. “This game was very important for the Israeli players, who scored 39 points. We raised our level defensively, which made it easier to create opportunities, and I’m happy with the way we won. There are no favorites in any competition. If you look at last season, we lost to this team twice.”

Ironi Kiryat Ata edged Hapoel HaEmek 86-85 at home, surviving a dramatic finish after trailing 26-19 at the end of the first quarter.

Led by captain Tomer Asayag, who scored a career-high 26 points, Kiryat Ata built a 12-point fourth-quarter lead. HaEmek, powered by Karel Guzman’s 22 points, mounted a 12-1 run late in the game and had a chance to steal the victory, but Niv Misgav missed a three-pointer just before the final buzzer.

David Green added 18 points for Kiryat Ata, while Tyrece Radford scored nine. Malik Hall led HaEmek with 15 points, Christian Mekowulu added 12, and CJ Eleby scored nine.

Kiryat Ata coach Eldad Bentov praised his players’ resilience.

“There is nothing more fulfilling than seeing these players, both those returning from last season and the young guys who joined us and had never played on a Premier League court before today,” he said. “We didn’t stick to our game plan, but the heart and soul of these players brought us the win.”

HaEmek coach Sharon Avrahami lamented his team’s inability to maintain its early momentum.\

Unity proves to be decisive

“We started well, went inside and controlled the rebounds. In the middle of the second quarter, we completely abandoned our game plan and couldn’t get back to it,” he said. “We expected to look better. It’s very disappointing, but we’ll have to learn from this and make adjustments.”

Asayag said his team’s unity proved decisive.

“We’re always there for one another. That’s our secret,” he said. “It wasn’t our most polished game, but it was a game of heart and soul; I’m happy it went our way.”

Hapoel Tel Aviv also began its league campaign with a victory, beating Hapoel Beersheba 95-82 on the road.

The Reds held a narrow 24-23 lead after the first quarter before extending the margin to 44-35 at halftime. Hapoel Tel Aviv led by 14 in the third quarter, but Beersheba rallied to cut the deficit to 64-62 entering the final period. The visitors responded by raising their intensity and pulling away to secure the win.

Dan Oturu led Hapoel Tel Aviv with 21 points, Eugene German scored 20, and Tai Odiase added 12. Christian Coleman recorded 24 points and 16 rebounds for Beersheba, while Lovell Cabbil scored 17 and Noam Avivi added 14.

Hapoel coach Dimitrios Itoudis welcomed the positive start.

“We started the league with a victory, and that’s important for all of us: the players, the club and the entire organization,” he said. “For most of the game, we had the right attitude and approached it seriously. We made adjustments at halftime, and most of our rebounds came after good defensive possessions.”

German felt comfortable in his role.

“We came out and played together as one team, showing good physicality throughout all 40 minutes,” he said. “I think I come into every game looking to prove myself, and I’m confident I can lead the team in domestic competition. The coach believes in me and trusts me.”

Maccabi Ramat Gan defeated Bnei Herzliya 89-79 at HaYovel Arena, controlling the contest from the outset behind strong performances from Ahmad Caver and Lior Carreira. Caver scored 22 points, Carreira added 19, and Jalen Adams contributed 18. DJ Bruton led Herzliya with 16 points, while Amit Gershon scored 14 and Zach Bryant added 13.

Ramat Gan coach Elad Hasin praised his players for overcoming a difficult preparation period.

“Beyond the injuries, we also had personal issues involving some players. I can count on two or three fingers the number of practices we managed to have together,” he said.

Hapoel Eilat rallied to defeat Maccabi Rishon LeZion 89-80 on the road, outscoring the hosts 28-16 in the fourth quarter. Kendale McCullum led Eilat with 18 points, Bryant Crawford added 14, and Daniel Rosenbaum and Nuni Omot scored 13 apiece. Qua led Rishon with 16 points, followed by Josh Freund with 12 and Chauncey Jenkins with 11.

Maccabi Ashdod produced one of the round’s biggest surprises, defeating Ness Ziona 76-62 at home after dominating the fourth quarter 28-12.

Robert Turner led Ashdod with 23 points, while Isaiah Hill and Ben Callahan-Gold added 12 apiece. Paris Lee was Ness Ziona’s only player to reach double figures, finishing with 10 points.