Hapoel Tel Aviv Advances to Winner Cup Final After Close Victory
Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Hapoel Tel Aviv reached the Winner Cup final after beating Ness Ziona 79-76.
- Antonio Blakeney's late three-pointers were decisive in the semifinal win.
- Hapoel Tel Aviv's Israeli players did not score any points in the game.
- The team faces a busy schedule with upcoming EuroLeague and domestic games.
- Ness Ziona's coach cited missed free throws and mental errors for the loss.
Hapoel Tel Aviv has reached the Winner Cup final for the second consecutive year after defeating Ironi Ness Ziona 79-76 in a closely contested semifinal. Despite playing with a secondary roster, Hapoel Tel Aviv secured the win thanks to two crucial three-pointers from Antonio Blakeney in the closing minutes. The team now awaits the winner of the second semifinal between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Jerusalem.
Key players like Elijah Bryant, Dan Ortero, Vasilije Micic, and Zack LeDay watched from the sidelines as their teammates overcame a ten-point deficit in the final quarter. The foreign players of Hapoel Tel Aviv accounted for 66 points, with an additional 13 from naturalized players Kadeem Carrington and Max Heidegger. Notably, the Israeli players on the court did not score any points.
Player Ish Wainright, who scored 17 points and grabbed five rebounds, expressed confidence in his shot and his teammates' trust in him. He acknowledged the demanding schedule of playing every two days, stating, "This is basketball, this is what I need to do, this is my job. This situation with the flights is what it is." Wainright also praised Ness Ziona as a strong team that will surprise many this season.
Hapoel Tel Aviv will remain in Israel until Wednesday before traveling to Spain for a EuroLeague game against Valencia on Thursday. Wainright mentioned plans to visit Jerusalem's Old City and the beach, expressing his love for Israel.
Ness Ziona will now focus on the upcoming Israeli Basketball Premier League season opener against newly promoted Maccabi Ashdod. The team needs to improve its three-point shooting, making only 8 of 28 attempts, and its free-throw percentage, going 12 for 21. Coach Paul Corlissaro credited Hapoel Tel Aviv for their performance but pointed to missed free throws and "mental errors" in critical moments as reasons for the loss.
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