Hapoel Jerusalem Dominates Rostock in EuroCup Opener

Hapoel Jerusalem launched their new EuroCup season with a decisive 94-73 home victory over Rostock in Belgrade on Tuesday. The Israeli team controlled the game from the outset, winning all four quarters and building a lead that peaked at 24 points. This marks their first European win of the 2026/27 season.

Coach Sasa Obradovic's squad now holds a 1-0 record in Group A of the competition. They are returning to Israel to prepare for the Final Four of the official Winner League preparation tournament. Their next game is Sunday against Maccabi Tel Aviv in Holon.

Kenyon "KP" Lofton Jr. led the scoring with 22 points and 10 rebounds, supported by Jalen Smith with 20 points. Shyke Milton added 14, while David Roddy, Yuval Sussman, and Devonte' Cacok each scored 9.

Yuval Sussman commented on the win, stating, "The most important thing is that we won. I'm happy we started on the right foot and we're looking ahead to Sunday's game against Maccabi. Although the result was good, there are many things to improve. This is our first game, and I believe we will get better with time. We came out aggressive. There's exceptional offensive talent. We'll need to tighten things up on defense and we'll be better."

Lorenzo Brown did not participate in Tuesday's game, having only completed two full practices. Coach Obradovic indicated that Brown is expected to play in the next EuroCup game against Cedevita Olimpija on Tuesday, and possibly even in the upcoming match against his former team, Maccabi Tel Aviv, on Sunday.