Maccabi Tel Aviv opened the playoff series with a commanding 96-75 win over Hapoel Tel Aviv in Game 1 on Monday night, taking a 1-0 lead. The Yellow dominance was clear from the start, with strong performances from Jalen Hord, Jimmy Clark, John DiBartolomeo, Bruno Caboclo, and Roman Sorkin. Hapoel will try to respond and tie the series on Thursday.
The game also drew attention because of a confrontation involving Hord, a former Hapoel player, and a fan after the final buzzer. Hord later said he was happy with the victory and wanted to stay aggressive throughout the game. He added that after a poor previous outing, the team wanted to respond together.
Addressing the altercation, Hord said, "The fan was talking to Jimmy, so I tried to be there for my friend. That's all. Every derby brings a lot of emotions. I've played in three of them, and these are games you enjoy playing."
Hapoel owner Ofer Yannay then criticized the incident on social media, tagging Hord and writing, "Leaving the court to threaten a fan and there is no response from the referees... I assume they do not know the rules. He cannot play in the series anymore. I expect a response from the association."
