Continuing the European Journey: Hapoel Head to Burgos

Two games, two wins, and our European journey continues to gather momentum. Tonight (Wednesday, 21:30 Israel time, live on Sport 1), Hapoel will visit Spanish side San Pablo Burgos in Round 3 of EuroCup Group A. Saša Obradovi?'s Reds head into the matchup with a perfect record after the opening two rounds, having defeated Germany's Rostock Seawolves 94-73 in Belgrade before securing an important 75-64 road victory over Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana last week. While the opening game showcased the offensive potential of this new-look Hapoel team, the trip to Slovenia reminded us that games can also be won on the defensive end. The Reds delivered an aggressive, determined performance, holding the hosts to just 64 points and finding a way to win even on a night when things didn't always come easily offensively.

The Reds will look to maintain their perfect record in the competition.

Leading the way for Hapoel in Ljubljana was Dušan Mileti?, who finished with 14 points and 8 rebounds, once again demonstrating his importance in the paint. David Roddy added 12 points, Kenneth Lofton Jr. contributed 11, and Shake Milton finished with 10. The positive momentum carried over into domestic competition, as Hapoel opened the Israeli Winner League season on Sunday with an impressive 92-69 road victory over Hapoel Holon at Toto Arena. Jaleen Smith and Lofton Jr. led the scoring with 15 points apiece, while Mileti? recorded a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Three wins in the first three official games of the season are certainly a reason for optimism, but the season is still young, and this new-look team is only beginning to build chemistry with each passing game. Tonight brings another test, this time against Spanish opposition on their home court.

Kenneth Lofton Jr. against Ljubljana.

A perfect start in the league as well. Cacok, Smith and Burg

On the other side, San Pablo Burgos enter the matchup with a 1-1 record in the EuroCup. The Spanish side opened its European campaign with an 85-81 home victory over Ljubljana before falling 93-80 to Aris Thessaloniki in Round 2. Among the standout names on the roster are American guard D.J. Steward, who scored 22 points in the win over Ljubljana, Chase Audige, who led the team with 25 points against Aris, and forward Sekou Doumbouya. Burgos are also still searching for consistency in the Spanish league, having opened their domestic campaign with one win in three games. Most recently, they suffered a 96-87 defeat to Bilbao on Sunday.

As for us, the objective is clear. After two victories in Europe and a winning start to the domestic league, we want to keep building on our progress. Step by step, game by game. To extend our winning streak, we'll once again need the defensive intensity, rebounding presence, and team basketball we've shown in recent weeks. Tonight in Burgos presents another opportunity to demonstrate our progress, maintain our perfect record, and pick up our European journey right where we left off.