Hapoel Tel Aviv beats Maccabi to force a fourth championship game

Hapoel Tel Aviv stayed alive in the Israeli Basketball Premier League finals on Sunday night, beating Maccabi Tel Aviv 74-80 and forcing a fourth game in the series. Hapoel will host the next game at Menora Mivtachim Arena.

After the final buzzer, head coach Dimitris Itoudis began summarizing the win, but owner Ofer Yannay interrupted him and told him the team had already met its policy requirements and there was no need to continue the interview.

Itoudis said the crowd support was crucial, adding, “They helped us.” He said the team won because its defense was excellent, it limited turnovers and controlled defensive rebounds. He also praised Vasilije Micic, saying he can rise to pressure moments because of his mental strength.

Micic, who was named the game’s standout player, said, “It feels good. It was a very hard game against a great team, but we gave everything and got a very important win.” He added, “We believe it is possible to take the championship,” and said the team would keep giving everything in the next game.

Yam Madar said the main thing was the win and that the team showed a lot of character. He called for fans to come to the next game and noted that Hapoel won through strong defense. Tomer Ginat called the victory “very sweet,” said the team knows it is good, and insisted that continuing to play this way makes the championship possible.