Hapoel Tel Aviv Falls to Balkan in Close Preseason Tune-Up
Hapoel Tel Aviv concluded its second preseason preparation game in Bulgaria on Monday, losing a close contest to Balkan Botevgrad 70-68. This followed a decisive 101-76 victory over the same opponent just two days prior. The team played without injured Tomer Ginat, and Oz Blayzer and Tai Odiase were also absent for undisclosed reasons.
Coach Dimitris Itoudis made one change to the starting lineup from the previous game, with Jish Wainwright replacing Zach LeDay. The team struggled early, falling into a double-digit deficit in the first quarter. However, bench players, notably Eugene German and LeDay, along with Dan Otturu, helped Hapoel Tel Aviv close the gap by halftime.
The second half was tightly contested. Otturu continued to perform well, and Antonio Blakeney took charge in the final quarter, though it wasn't enough to secure the win.
Hapoel Tel Aviv will now travel to Belgrade for further preparation, facing Partizan Belgrade and FMP Belgrade. Before returning to Israel, the team is scheduled to participate in a tournament with Bayern Munich, ASVEL, and Virtus Bologna.
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