Maccabi Tel Aviv lost 80-74 to Hapoel Tel Aviv on Tuesday, missing a rare chance to finish off a Finals sweep and claim the championship. The game ended with a heated dispute over the officiating, especially in the fourth quarter.
Right after the final buzzer, Hapoel’s professional manager Claudio Collabella shouted at referee Omer Estron in protest of calls during the game. He then went to the referees’ room and continued shouting at Estron and the rest of the officiating crew.
Hapoel owner Ofer Yanai also intervened in the confrontation. According to the report, he told the referees, "You are complaining? That is injustice."
The article noted that Hapoel committed 23 fouls compared with 18 by Maccabi. Tai Odiase, Vasilije Micic and Keandre Cook each finished with four fouls, while Oshae Brissett was the only Maccabi player to reach four fouls.
