Maccabi Tel Aviv opened the Israeli Basketball League finals on Tuesday night with a commanding 96-75 win over Hapoel Tel Aviv at the Yad Eliyahu Arena, taking the first game of the series in style. The victory drew immediate reaction from head coach Oded Katash and captain John DiBartolomeo.
Katash said he was pleased with his team’s energy, body language and defense. “You can’t plan things like this in advance,” he said. “I loved the energy and the body language. The crowd pushed us, we enjoyed the event, we earned it. I loved the way we played, we made a lot of stops, I’m very proud, but everyone understands this is only the first game.” He added that Maccabi benefited from some luck, since Hapoel missed shots, and warned that the series will change as the opponent adjusts. “They will make adjustments, this series will have a life of its own and we will need to respond,” he said.
DiBartolomeo said he was happy with Maccabi’s start but stressed that the series is far from over. “We have a long way to go. We will recover quickly and prepare for Game 2,” he said. He credited the home crowd for helping create the large margin and noted that the result says little about the rest of the series, which he described as a battle between two EuroLeague teams for the championship.
The Maccabi captain also addressed his own future. He said he loves the club, has been there a long time, and feels like one with Maccabi. “Right now I’m focused on the games, in the summer we’ll think things through and see what happens,” he said. Asked whether he wants to stay and remain captain, he called it a privilege and said, “It would be very hard to part with Maccabi.”
