Hapoel Jerusalem Dominates Maccabi Ashdod in Winner Cup Opener

The 2026/27 Israeli basketball season commenced with the Winner Cup preseason tournament, featuring defending champions Hapoel Jerusalem. Hapoel Jerusalem began their title defense with a decisive 110-77 victory over newcomers Maccabi Ashdod in their opening Group D game. Despite the absence of star player Jared Harper, who is sidelined for several months with a broken finger, Jerusalem secured a commanding win.

After a closely contested first half, Hapoel Jerusalem took control of the game. They delivered a dominant fourth quarter, outscoring Ashdod 33-10, and extended their lead to as many as 34 points. Kenny Lofton Jr. stepped up in Harper's absence, leading Jerusalem with 23 points.

Maccabi Ashdod showed flashes of potential, particularly from their new foreign player, Robit, who scored 15 of his 17 points in the first half and helped Ashdod build an early 8-point lead. However, Robit and the entire Ashdod team were contained in the second half, managing only 27 points after halftime.

Hapoel Jerusalem, under new coach Sasha Obradovic and with several new signings, has started their campaign to retain the trophy on a strong note.