Maccabi Tel Aviv wins 58th Israeli basketball championship

Maccabi Tel Aviv captured its 58th national title on Thursday night, beating Hapoel Tel Aviv 83-79 in Game 4 of the Winner League playoff final. The yellow-and-blue won the best-of-five series 3-1 and lifted the championship trophy for the first time since the 2023/24 season.

The title run was not easy. Maccabi opened the series with two convincing wins, but Hapoel cut the deficit and forced a fourth game. In Game 3, the Reds staged a major comeback and won 80-74, led by Vasilije Micic with 29 points and 10 assists. In the deciding game, Maccabi overcame the pressure and closed out the series.

Coach Oded Kattash’s team entered the final missing three key players, Tamir Blatt, Gur Lavy, and Lonnie Walker, yet still met its goal. For Kattash, it was his fourth championship as Maccabi Tel Aviv coach, further strengthening his place among the club’s most successful managers. Captain John DiBartolomeo also claimed the seventh title of his career.

Maccabi’s path to the final began with a 3-0 semifinal sweep of Hapoel Holon. In the clinching game of that series, the team won 89-61, with Jimmy Clark returning from injury and producing 14 points and 8 assists. The championship underlined Maccabi’s resilience through injuries, and marked the club’s first title in four games since 26 years ago.