Maccabi Tel Aviv beat Hapoel 96-75 in the first game of the basketball playoff final and took a 1-0 lead in the series. The winners pulled away to a double-digit advantage early in the second quarter and never let Hapoel recover.
Hapoel struggled with a disorganized performance and got poor nights from its top players. Yam Madar finished with 6 points, while Vasilije Micic had 7 points and 8 turnovers. Maccabi took advantage of that sloppiness to control the game.
Jalen Hood was Maccabi’s standout performer, leading the team with 20 points. The series now moves forward with Maccabi holding the early edge and Hapoel needing a response in the next game.