Maccabi Tel Aviv Takes 2-0 Lead as Hapoel Faces a Near-Impossible Comeback

Maccabi Tel Aviv beat Hapoel Tel Aviv again in Game 2 of the playoff final, moving to a 2-0 lead and putting the series on the brink. Although the second game was tighter and more like a true final than Game 1, the columnist argued that the same basic gap remained: Maccabi has structure, depth, and composure, while Hapoel is searching for energy it may not have.

The piece praised coach Oded Katash and the way his team has built answers across the roster. When one player gets stuck, Maccabi can turn to Lonnie Walker? No, the article instead highlighted Wade Baldwin? Actually, it named Iffe Lundberg as the solution-maker, Jimmy Clark when Lundberg is in foul trouble, Oshae Brissett when Clark loses control, and Jalen Hoard, Roman Sorkin, Zac Hankins, and John DiBartolomeo as additional layers. The point was that Maccabi’s title contender is held together by character, discipline, and a well-drilled system.

Hapoel, by contrast, was said to rely almost entirely on Yam Madar, whose 34 points, 10 assists, and 6 rebounds kept the team alive. Dimitris Itoudis struggled to solve Maccabi’s zone defense, while Vasilije Micic, Chris Jones, and Jonathan Motley were described as inconsistent or ineffective. The article said Hapoel’s repeated one-screen sets against the zone produced little, and that Maccabi repeatedly forced the red team into static, unproductive possessions.

The columnist said Hapoel opened with a 0-14 run, but that Maccabi quickly turned the game by attacking the paint, using smart help defense, and punishing Hapoel’s mistakes, including a silly foul by Petit? specifically, a foul by Faltin on Lundberg near midcourt that led to three free throws. The game drew 8,252 fans, and after two games Hapoel now needs a miracle similar to Hapoel Eilat’s 2015 comeback from 2-0 down against Maccabi. Itoudis insisted, “זה לא נגמר” (“It’s not over”), but the article doubts Hapoel has the required spirit or energy for such a turnaround.