Maccabi Tel Aviv Dominates to Reach Winner Cup Semifinals

Maccabi Tel Aviv secured a spot in the Winner Cup semifinals on Sunday, crushing Elitzur Kiryat Ata 109-61. Following their earlier Super Cup victory, this win marks another step towards a second title this season for the Yellows, who have now advanced to the final four of the tournament. They are set to face Hapoale Jerusalem in the next round.

"We advanced, we reached the semifinals, and that was the goal," a club representative stated. "Even if it wasn't with our best basketball, it's important for us to gain wins to build confidence and maintain the right energy for our process." Despite the lopsided final score, the game was not a wire-to-wire dominance for Maccabi. The team struggled in the first quarter, even falling behind, but once they took the lead, they became unstoppable, extending their advantage throughout the game to a maximum of 50 points.

"We started poorly and Kiryat Ata took advantage. We weren't focused, we didn't play simply, and we put ourselves at risk," the club noted. "The moment we started leading, we entered a different mode, and things began to happen more easily. Our games have ups and downs, and we need to find balance and make as few mistakes as possible. We thought we would be further along in terms of team chemistry at this point."

Seven players scored in double figures, led by Daniel Theis with 15 points in his Israeli debut. Bonzie Colson, returning from illness, added 14, and John DiBartolomeo contributed 13. T.J. Leaf scored 12 points and grabbed five rebounds, while Jalen Clark and Amit Cohen each had 11, and Keiton Wallace rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10.

Maccabi also used the game to manage player minutes, with no one exceeding 23 minutes on the court. This comes ahead of a demanding week featuring two EuroLeague games: Wednesday against Besiktas and Friday against Olympiacos. Despite the decisive victory and semifinal advancement, the club acknowledges that the team is still in its early stages of cohesion and that recent games have highlighted areas needing significant improvement.

"We are still just at the beginning, but we thought we were further along, and the last few games showed us that's not the case. We will learn from this and move forward. We still have players to integrate and roles to figure out," the club explained. Coach Oded Katash expressed significant self-criticism regarding team lineups and starting fives, stating he and his staff are still seeking ways to effectively integrate new players who are not yet performing to expectations.