Maccabi Tel Aviv Prepares for Historic Derby in Game 1 of the Final

Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Tel Aviv meet tonight at 8:50 p.m. at Menora Mivtachim Arena in Game 1 of the best-of-five Israeli Basketball League final. It is the first time in Israeli basketball that two EuroLeague teams are facing each other for the championship, setting up what is expected to be one of the most prestigious and intriguing finals in years.

About 8,000 fans had already secured seats, including 1,000 Hapoel supporters in red. Maccabi is counting on a big home-court atmosphere after finishing the regular season first with a 24-2 record, which gave it home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. The club says the moment has arrived after a season filled with professional and personal challenges.

Maccabi is not at full strength. Tamir Blatt injured his calf in the previous game and partially tore the muscle, and his return this series is considered doubtful. Guy Lavie also will not play after returning too soon from knee surgery and suffering renewed pain and swelling, while TJ Leaf had already ended his season during the EuroLeague campaign after shoulder surgery. Blatt’s absence forces coach Oded Kattash to make major changes to the backcourt rotation and game plan.

The team has also prepared for the possible return of Hapoel center Dan Oturu to the lineup. Maccabi expects him to arrive in Israel and has adjusted tactically in case he plays tonight or later in the series. Club officials said, “This is the real moment, we waited for this all season. We prepared for it, aimed for it, and now the burden of proof is on us. Finishing this season with a championship, after everything we went through, would be crazy and fun. That was our goal from the start of the season. Winning the double would be exceptional and not taken for granted in a year like this.”