Hapoel Tel Aviv Faces Ness Ziona in Winner Cup Semifinal

Hapoel Tel Aviv and Ironi Ness Ziona are competing in the Winner Cup basketball semifinal at the Toto Hall in Holon, with the winner advancing to the final. Hapoel Tel Aviv, coached by Dimitris Itoudis, is aiming for their first title of the season, coming off a strong period that includes three consecutive wins across all competitions. Their recent victories include an 85-67 win over Hapoel Be'er Sheva/Dimona in the Winner Cup quarterfinals, an 81-80 EuroLeague win against Crvena Zvezda Belgrade, and a hard-fought 102-98 EuroLeague victory over Real Madrid.

Ironi Ness Ziona, coached by Corso, has been undefeated in the Winner Cup this season. They secured their spot in the semifinals by defeating Ironi Kiryat Ata 98-94, Hapoel Holon 77-72, and Hapoel Galil Elyon 78-70 in the quarterfinals. In their quarterfinal match, Ness Ziona held a 19-point lead before surviving a late comeback attempt to reach the semifinals for the first time since the 2019/20 season.

Historically, Hapoel Tel Aviv has had the upper hand in matchups against Ness Ziona, winning all three games last season, including a dominant 116-63 victory in the Winner Cup. Overall, Hapoel Tel Aviv leads the series with 20 wins to Ness Ziona's 12 in league and domestic competitions.

In the current game, Ness Ziona led 23-19 after the first quarter. Eugene German started strong for Hapoel Tel Aviv with an early 8-0 run, but Ness Ziona responded with a 12-3 run to take the lead. The first quarter was played at a high pace with both teams exchanging leads before Ness Ziona secured a narrow advantage by the end of the period.