Winner League Basket 21-22
Game board
Cycle 33 – 29/05/2022
- Bnei Herzliya
- 81 – 97
- Maccabi Tel Aviv
- Hapoel Holon
- 75 – 61
- Hapoel Jerusalem
ONE System | 30/05/2022 21:18
Yotam Halperin (Itzik Belnitsky)
The Winner Basket League playoff semifinal continued tonight (Monday) with Hapoel Holon losing 75:61 at the Toto Hall to Hapoel Jerusalem and missing an expensive opportunity to advance to the grand final. Fans of the opposing team lit candles in the stands with the opening whistle and caused a slight delay.
The host came to the game with a 0: 1 advantage in the best of three games series after winning the arena in Jerusalem, but as mentioned lost to the Jerusalemites who compared the series to 1: 1 and forced the series to the third and decisive game to be held on Thursday at 19:30.
Even before the first ball was thrown, Hapoel Jerusalem fans performed a pyrotechnic demonstration in the stands. The fans who filled the hall came excited and even after the game opened flares and smoke grenades were lit in the stands. The fans also waved a sign: “And a lion if he roars, who will not fear.”
Hapoel Jerusalem fans (Itzik Belnitsky)
Hapoel Jerusalem fans (Itzik Belnitsky)
Hapoel Jerusalem fans (Itzik Belnitsky)The winning team coach, Yotam Halperin, Was pleased with the finish: “It was pretty clear that from the first second we were able to carry out the things we wanted, to absorb 61 points from Holon, it shows that we know how to save. We were better from the first moment. It’s not easy to win here, glad we did it a second time this season, it’s not obvious. Holon An experienced and quality group. We saw in the first game that on any given day someone out there could explode on you. We did not do anything unusual in preparation. We talked about how we would get Margeland the ability to run the game, it was important to us that it would not be a significant factor. There were no special accommodations. The first game was exceptional and it was only 1: 1.
“Noam is not stable enough yet. On the day I finish the season here and go on a break that Noam played better and is ready for next year. He’s a smart writer and someone your coach wants to work with. He has a lot more to improve, he had a reasonable game today and I’m happy about that. Must maintain consistency. Bringing the guys on Thursday is the most important thing to me. Bring them to the same energy level. They figured it out this morning. We did not want to end the season. “We are happy that we have returned home and we must not fall again.”
On the difference between a player and a coach, Halperin said: “I got up in the morning and arrived at training very excited about the situation but not under pressure. We believed in a game plan, we believed that if we stuck to the plan then things would be fine in the end. I was not under hysterical pressure to lose. As a coach there are a lot of hard feelings. Do not share player so you go home with it after. Even with a player did not play well, which is one of the hard things for me in training. We have a deep staff that anyone can be good at at any given figure. Obasuhan gives a lot. His personality is fun, on the other hand he is our defensive anchor, it has been like this all season and it will last. Even though he was not good in the first half, he was good on defense. It’s a great privilege to have such a player. Made a big three. On the offensive side as well, the goal is for Oba to play better offensively as well. “
Guy Goodes and Yotam Halperin (Itzik Belnitsky)Also the coach of the losing team, Guy Goodes, Spoke at the end of the game: “I think they played better, they were sharper and with their backs to the wall. We were less sharp and they won rightly, continuing to game number three. “
