Maccabi Tel Aviv Dominates Hapoel Jerusalem in Winner Cup Quarterfinal

Maccabi Tel Aviv decisively advanced to the Winner Cup semifinals on Sunday, crushing Hapoel Jerusalem with a commanding 109-61 victory. The team, coached by Oded Katash, showcased strong offensive performance, hitting 14 of their 28 three-point attempts.

Jimmy Clark emerged as a standout player for Maccabi Tel Aviv, contributing 11 points and a game-high seven assists in just 19 minutes of play. Clark also added three steals, shooting efficiently with 3-of-6 from beyond the arc and a perfect 2-of-2 from the free-throw line. He started at point guard alongside John DiBartolomeo, Bonzie Colson, TJ Leaf, and Daniel Theis, while Yam Madar played only 12 minutes and Wade Baldwin IV was rested.

Clark, who had been dealing with a hamstring injury that sidelined him for the preseason, is gradually regaining his form. He previously scored nine points and dished out six assists in a recent game against ASVEL, where he played significant minutes alongside Madar and Keiton Wallace. Last season, Clark often played as a shooting guard.

Daniel Theis, Maccabi's leading scorer, emphasized the team's focus on building rhythm and improving with each game. "We need to find my place and rhythm, this is a new system for me," Theis stated. Reflecting on a previous loss to ASVEL, he added, "We need to play stronger, we weren't ready against ASVEL and it showed from the first minute. In the EuroLeague, teams are good, we need to play strong and well from the first minute."

Maccabi Tel Aviv will now prepare for a demanding double week in the EuroLeague, facing Besiktas on Wednesday and Panathinaikos on Friday.