After a heated game: Hapoel loses at Shlomo Arena
After a heated game with an intense atmosphere, Hapoel Jerusalem lost to Hapoel Tel Aviv 109-100. Chris Johnson was unstoppable, scoring 22 points, including 6 three-pointers
Hapoel Jerusalem returned tonight (Sunday) to the Winner League for an intense away game against Hapoel Tel Aviv and lost 109-100, despite an excellent performance by Johnson (22 points). After a long period, Hapoel played in front of more than 3,000 passionate fans from both teams, creating an atmosphere they know how to deliver. The loss comes after last week's victory against Benfica which secured Hapoel's first place in the Champions League group stage. Hapoel will play next Monday against Hapoel Be'er Sheva at the Pais Arena in Jerusalem.
Hapoel opened the game with a lineup of Speedy Smith, Or Cornelius, Levi Randolph, Oz Blayzer, and Zack Hankins. For the first time in a long while, the atmosphere was heated, with over 3,000 passionate fans from both teams creating the atmosphere we've all missed so much. Like the stands, the on-court action was intense, with Oz Blayzer heating up with two three-pointers, giving Hapoel the early advantage. Hapoel Tel Aviv tried to narrow the gap from the free-throw line, but Hapoel consistently found openings in the Tel Aviv defense, especially with the help of Levi Randolph, who scored 29 points against Benfica just a few days ago. Danny Franco took a timeout to organize the defense and largely succeeded in stopping Jerusalem's efficiency. John Holland played a significant role in Tel Aviv's comeback, erasing the lead completely and sending Jerusalem to a timeout with 8 points in the first 5 minutes of the game. Tel Aviv returned after the timeout with a zone defense to challenge Jerusalem's offense even more, going on a 12-0 run stopped by none other than Randolph. Jerusalem lost some concentration, and at the end of the quarter, it was 31-24 in favor of Hapoel Tel Aviv.
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Hapoel Tel Aviv opened the third quarter with an excellent offensive flow, narrowing the gap to just one point. The halftime break did not succeed in stopping Chris Johnson from doing what he loves – hitting three-pointers from the corner. Hankins also started the quarter strong, repeatedly receiving the ball in close proximity to the basket and finishing with two-pointers or shots from the line. Before Johnson went to the bench, he managed to reach 20 points, but his departure gave Hapoel Tel Aviv a chance to reduce the deficit to 2 points before Hapoel took a timeout. After the timeout, Jerusalem returned sharper, and the Tel Aviv zone defense didn't prevent Randolph from entering the paint and scoring points. Zoosman also joined the attack against the zone with a three-pointer of his own, and at the end of the quarter, the score was 80-75 in favor of the Reds from Jerusalem.
In contrast to the other quarters, the fourth quarter opened relatively calmly, which was reflected in the overall slower pace compared to the rest of the game. The teams exchanged baskets in slow yet impressively efficient offensive possessions. Idan Zalmanson was the star on the Tel Aviv side, while Speedy Smith took it upon himself to preserve the lead from the other end. After a timeout by Hapoel Tel Aviv, both defenses tightened, and with 4 minutes left, the lead was reduced to a single possession. Speedy Smith and Xavier Munford took control of the game, with Munford lifting Tel Aviv to a 2-possession lead with 2 minutes to play. At this point, Yovel Zoosman woke up and delivered 5 consecutive points, including a dramatic three-pointer, narrowing the gap to just one point. The end of the game was long and tense, but with 40 seconds remaining, it concluded with a 109-100 victory for Hapoel Tel Aviv.
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