Maccabi Tel Aviv won its 58th Israeli basketball championship on Tuesday night, defeating Hapoel Tel Aviv 83-79 to complete a 3-1 victory in the Israeli Premier League final series.
The title clincher was a close, dramatic and high-quality game played before more than 9,000 fans at Yad Eliyahu Arena. Maccabi pulled away thanks in large part to Danish guard Gabriel "Apo" Lundberg, who led the team with 21 points.
Jalen Hoard added 14 points, while Jimmy Clark and Oshae Brissett scored 13 each for the champions. On the Hapoel side, Israeli guard and club homegrown player Yam Madar stood out with 26 points, and Tai Odiase and Tomer Ginat scored 13 each.
The loss leaves Hapoel Tel Aviv still waiting for its first league title since 1969. The article also notes that Maccabi recently won the State Cup for the 47th time, and that Hapoel has decided Dimitris Itoudis will continue coaching the team next season.