After a Thriller: Hapoel Defeats Burgos

Hapoel maintained its perfect EuroCup record after three rounds, securing a thrilling 84-85 road victory over Spanish side Burgos to improve to 3-0 in the competition. Next week, the Reds will look to keep their momentum going when they host Latvian side Riga Zelli in Belgrade. The visitors also hold a positive 2-1 record in Group A.

Hapoel scorers: Kenneth Lofton Jr. 28, Jaleen Smith 13, Devontae Cacok 11, David Roddy 8, Shake Milton 7, Nimrod Levi 6, Yovel Zoosman 5, Dušan Mileti? 4, Ethan Burg 3.

The star of the night was undoubtedly Kenny Lofton Jr., who delivered an outstanding performance with 28 points on 10-of-13 shooting from the field and a perfect 7-of-7 from the free-throw line, adding six rebounds. Beyond the American forward's individual brilliance, Hapoel also demonstrated remarkable resilience as a team. The Reds saw double-digit leads of 14 and 11 points slip away on two separate occasions and even found themselves trailing with less than a minute remaining. However, Obradovi?'s men kept their composure, and a massive three-pointer from Shake Milton restored their lead, which they held until the final buzzer.

Milton (left) knocked down the game-winning three-pointer.

Game Recap

Hapoel opened the game with Brown, Burg, Roddy, Lofton Jr. and Mileti?. Obradovi?'s squad struggled early on, scoring just four points in the opening four and a half minutes and falling behind 10-4. The visitors eventually found their rhythm, largely thanks to Jaleen Smith and Devontae Cacok coming off the bench. The duo sparked a 10-2 run that helped Hapoel take a 24-18 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Lofton Jr., who had already scored 16 points by halftime, took control in the second quarter and powered the Reds to a 14-point advantage with two and a half minutes remaining before the break. However, Hapoel managed just two more points before the buzzer, allowing Burgos to cut into the deficit. Hapoel led 46-39 at halftime.

Our lead disappeared midway through the third quarter, as a three-pointer from Samar put Burgos ahead 55-54. At that moment, the visitors showed their character, responding with a 12-2 run led by Lofton Jr. and Roddy to rebuild a promising advantage. Hapoel entered the final ten minutes leading 70-59.

Even that lead wasn't enough to secure a comfortable finish. With less than two minutes remaining, the Reds once again found themselves trailing, 79-78. Lofton Jr. put Hapoel back in front with two free throws, but Steward restored Burgos' lead with 57 seconds left on the clock.

On the following possession, the ball found its way to Shake Milton, who buried a huge three-pointer from the corner. Burgos still had enough time to mount one final comeback, but failed to convert any of its three opportunities. Roddy then sealed the victory at the other end.

Final score: A dramatic 85-84 victory for Hapoel! On Saturday night, we're back home to host Be'er Sheva at Pais Arena!