Maccabi Tel Aviv took a 2-0 lead over Hapoel Tel Aviv in the best-of-five final after a dramatic 102-98 win on Thursday, putting the team just 40 minutes from the title. Despite a shaky start that saw Maccabi fall behind by 14 points in under five minutes and go scoreless early, the coaching staff urged the players to stay calm and trust that the shots would eventually fall.
Iffe Lundberg led the comeback with 25 points, 3 assists and 3 rebounds in 28 minutes, finishing with a 32 efficiency rating. Team officials praised his leadership and poise, saying, “Iffe was excellent. He brought a lot of experience and composure to this game, he takes a lot of responsibility and made good decisions.”
Four other Maccabi players scored in double figures: Roman Sorkin had 21 points and 5 rebounds, Jimmy Clark added 12 points in 12 minutes, Jaylen Hoard scored 14 points and grabbed 6 rebounds, and Oshae Brissett posted a double-double with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Maccabi used only nine players because of injuries, and the club believes Lonnie Walker could return to the roster for Game 3 after missing the last five games. Clark also played limited minutes because of muscle tightness, while Tamir Blatt is not expected back because of a calf injury.
Coach Oded Katash said managing the short rotation is difficult, especially when the team is forced into unfamiliar lineups with only one ball-handler. Game 3 will be played Sunday at Maccabi’s home arena, where the yellow-and-blue can clinch another championship. The team’s message ahead of that game was clear: “We have to win the next game, we have to take what belongs to us.”
