Hapoel Jerusalem Dominates Maccabi Ashdod in Winner Cup Opener
Hapoel Jerusalem, the reigning champion, kicked off the 2026/7 Israeli basketball season with a decisive victory over newly promoted Maccabi Ashdod in the opening game of the Winner Cup tournament. The game, held on Tuesday, marked the first official match of the new season, which follows Maccabi Tel Aviv's 58th league championship win.
Despite the absence of star player Jared Harper, who is sidelined for several months with a broken finger, Hapoel Jerusalem secured a commanding win. After a closely contested first half, Jerusalem took control, particularly in the fourth quarter where they outscored Ashdod 33-10, extending their lead to as much as 34 points.
Kenny Lofton Jr. stepped up in Harper's absence, leading Jerusalem with 23 points. For Maccabi Ashdod, new foreign player Robit showed promise, scoring 15 of his 19 points in the first half, and the team even held an eight-point lead at one point. However, Ashdod's offense faltered in the second half, with Robit and the team collectively scoring only 27 points.
Hapoel Jerusalem, under new coach Sasha Obradovic and with several new signings, begins its title defense campaign on a strong note.
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