Caboclo Reflects on Hapoel Tel Aviv's Win and Team's Momentum

Hapoel Tel Aviv's center Bruno Caboclo reflected on the team's hard-fought 79-76 victory over Nes Ziona in the Winner's Cup semifinals, securing their place in the final. The team will face the winner of the Maccabi Tel Aviv vs. Hapoel Jerusalem game. After a perfect week in the Euroleague, Hapoel Tel Aviv established an early 8-0 lead, though they finished the first quarter trailing. They built a ten-point advantage at the start of the fourth quarter before Nes Ziona briefly took a one-point lead. Antonio Blakeney then took control, scoring nine points in the final quarter and finishing with 21 points overall. Eugene German and "Winneright" (likely referring to a player whose name is not fully provided or is a nickname) each contributed 17 points, including five three-pointers. Caboclo, who started the game, expressed pride in the team's performance, especially their ability to regain the lead after losing it. He mentioned the positive reception he received from the club after his recent strong shooting performance against Real Madrid. "The wisdom is, for me, to continue playing well and have continuity," Caboclo stated, emphasizing the importance of maintaining momentum. Looking ahead to their upcoming game against Valencia on Thursday, Caboclo acknowledged the challenge of playing Spanish teams, noting their fast-paced style. He expressed a desire to play and contribute, and stated he doesn't mind who they face in the final, as his primary goal is to win. The team also provided an update on Jacob Toppin, who is reportedly feeling better and nearing completion of his naturalization process, potentially making him available for the Valencia game under coach Itoudis. Amir Coffey is expected to miss the game due to a calf tear. Hapoel Tel Aviv will remain in Israel until Wednesday before traveling for their away game against Valencia. The team is scheduled to hold a memorial event on Monday evening for the victims of the October 7th massacre.