Hapoel Tel Aviv produced a major Game 3 victory on Sunday, weakening the arguments that its season was really about the EuroLeague and not the domestic league. The win came despite Hapoel missing several of the pillars that carried it earlier in the year, and despite the fact that this was supposed to be its last game of the season.
The story of the night was Vasilije Micic, who delivered the kind of performance Hapoel had been waiting for. He scored seven three-pointers on 12 attempts, managed the game carefully, avoided careless turnovers, and finished with 10 assists, only three turnovers and four fouls in nearly 34 minutes. He looked faster, lighter and more energetic, and the columnist said this was the Micic Hapoel had wanted all season. Yovel Zoosman was also highlighted as the ideal partner next to him, providing size, interior presence and a key offensive rebound, while Yam Madar and Isaiah Wainwright gave Hapoel major support.
On defense, Hapoel’s biggest move was coach Dimitris Itoudis’s choice to start Keandre Cook instead of a pure scorer like Chris Jones. Cook played only 11 minutes, but Hapoel used him to pressure and tire out Maccabi’s guards, especially Lorenzo Brown and Jaylen Hoard, and forced two 24-second violations in the first half. The team also attacked Maccabi’s pick-and-roll, protected the paint and crashed the boards with discipline.
Maccabi Tel Aviv looked flat and tired, and the result now puts Game 4 heavily on its physical recovery and medical staff. Its offense was its least disciplined of the playoffs, with poor shot selection, impatience and a heavy reliance on three-pointers. Without Tamir Blatt, Maccabi shot 27 percent from deep. Even 17 offensive rebounds were often wasted by settling for more threes, and Roman Sorkin finished with no points. Hapoel’s pressure repeatedly broke Maccabi’s momentum, and Micic sealed the game with a late three before Zoosman finished the job inside. The series is now open again, with the championship pressure growing around Maccabi and the possibility of an Hapoel title on the line.
