Maccabi Tel Aviv tonight (Thursday) defeated Hapoel Holon 91:97 and advanced to the finals of the Winner Cup where they will meet their city rival, Hapoel Tel Aviv. The yellows dominated throughout most of the game starring the new team, Lorenzo Brown, and led by 25 points, but a great run by the purples narrowed the gap to single digits at the end.
The Yellows started the game great, and Lorenzo Brown came on as a substitute in the fifth minute and took control of the game. His team went into halftime with a 12 point lead. In the third quarter, Maccabi Tel Aviv continued the momentum and led by 18 points, at the start of the fourth quarter, the streak continued and Oded Ketch’s players already led by 25 points. At this point, the Purples woke up and started a great run that narrowed the gap to four points with a minute to go. As mentioned, it was not enough and they lost.
Those who stood out in the game on the side of the yellows were: Alex Poithers with 17 points and Lorenzo Brown with 13 points and 12 assists. Josh Niebo, Wade Baldwin and Rafi Manko scored 14 points each, with the latter even adding 4/5 from three. In the purple lines, Joe Ragland starred with 24 points and eight assists and Marvin Jones also added 17 points.
The next matches of both teams will be in the framework of the European establishments. Maccabi Tel Aviv will be encouraged by the victory and will try to beat Zalgiris in the Euroleague next Thursday, and Hapoel Holon will host Legia Warsaw in the FIBA Champions League this coming Monday.
Scored for Maccabi Tel Aviv: Lorenzo Brown 13 points and 12 assists, Wade Baldwin 14 points and six assists. Rafi Manko 14 points, Roman Sorkin two points, John DiBartholomew nine points, Alex Poithers 17 points and 11 rebounds, Josh Niebo 14 points, Bonzie Colson 11 points and Afada Ziv with three points.
Scored for Hapoel Holon: Joe Ragland 24 points and eight assists, Marvin Jones 17 points and five rebounds, Sean Dawson ten points, Chris Johnson seven points, Frederic Bourdion six points, Hayden Dalton three points, Niv Mashgav 14 points and Kenneth Kadji ten points
First quarter: 19:27 for Maccabi Tel Aviv
Maccabi Tel Aviv Quintet: Alex Poythers, Wade Baldwin, Josh Niebo, John DiBartholomew and Bonzie Coulson.
The Hapoel Holon quintet: Joe Ragland, Chris Johnson, Hayden Dalton, Marvin Jones and Niv Mashgav.
The Maccabi Tel Aviv players started the game when John DiBartholomew failed to score from the paint, Wade Dalton on the other hand tried a three-pointer without success. Bonzie Colson scored the first basket of the game after a minute and a half of zeros. Chris Johnson scored the first basket for his team, but on the ensuing possession Baldwin regained the lead and Dibertholmeau hit a 3-pointer from almost half court. On the other hand, Johnson scored Hapoel Holon’s first three-pointer.
Lorenzo Brown made his debut five minutes after the start of the game and scored a great three. Guy Goodes asked for a timeout when the score was 10:14 in favor of Maccabi Tel Aviv. After the break, Manko scored a three-pointer, but Mashgav responded with another three-pointer from his side as well. After two great assists by Brown, Maccabi Tel Aviv took an eight-point lead. Another assist from Brown to Coulson determined the result of the quarter: 19:27 to Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Second quarter: 40:52 to Maccabi Tel Aviv
Nibo scored the first basket of the quarter and gave his team a ten-point lead. John DiBarthlomeu took advantage of another wonderful assist from Brown and hit a great 3-pointer, prompting Goodes to call a timeout with his team trailing by 13 points. Frederic Bourdion scored a great three-pointer and reduced the deficit to ten points. Joe Ragland scored two more points on the ensuing attack, but a great 3-pointer by Manko put Maccabi Tel Aviv back to a ten-point lead. Jones scored from the penalty and reduced his team’s deficit to seven points.
Brown scored two points and increased his balance and Poithers scored from the penalty and increased the lead to 11 points for the Yellows. Jones missed on the other side and Sorkin scored under the basket with a great burst. Ragland continued to keep Holon alive, but Baldwin scored from outside the paint after a great dribble and also drew a foul. Mashgav scored two points at the buzzer and brought his team down by 12 points at the half. 40:52 to Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Third quarter: 61:79 to Maccabi Tel Aviv
The Hapoel Holon players started the quarter and failed to reach the basket in the legal time. On the counterattack, Poithers scored the first two points of the second half under the basket. Coulson came on as a substitute and scored from the free throw to give his team a 15 point lead, after several consecutive rebounds, Coulson scored two more points under the basket and made Goodes call a timeout. Poithers scored two more free points to give his team a record lead of 21 points, Ragland scored the first two points of the quarter for Holon.
Poithers scored two more points from the penalty, but Ragland from half distance scored a great goal and again kept Holon in the game. Brown scored two more points from the paint, drew a foul and scored the free kick. After a great exchange of passes with the new European champion, Rafi Manko scored a three-pointer, and Ragland again scored under the basket. Brown added another assist when Josh Niebo scored from his pass under the basket. The Spaniard continued his great form, scored from the penalty and put his team ahead by 25 points. The Purples scored seven points in a row and narrowed the gap at the end of the quarter. 61:79 to Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Fourth quarter: 91:97 to Maccabi Tel Aviv
The Purples reduced at the beginning of the quarter with a point from the penalty, but Lorenzo Brown, on the other hand, scored a great three. Bourdion made another foul and gave the Yellows another free kick, which Coulson missed. Bourdillon from the penalty and Jones narrowed the gap. It was Guy Goodes who took a timeout when his team was behind by 14. Jones scored three consecutive points, and Mageb under the basket scored two more points. Dawson continued the momentum when he hit another 3-pointer and forced Ketch to take a timeout with his team leading by 11 points.
Poithers scored the first points from the paint after the timeout. The Purples, on the other hand, continued the momentum and narrowed the gap to only seven points. After the timeout, Johnson scored two points from the penalty spot, completely breaking the game open with two minutes left. Baldwin scored great under the basket and increased the yellow lead to six points. 91:97 to Maccabi Tel Aviv at the end of the game.