Maccabi Tel Aviv captured the Israeli basketball championship on Tuesday night, beating city rival Hapoel Tel Aviv 83-79 in Game 4 of the finals. The win gave Oded Kattash’s team a 3-1 series victory and ended Maccabi’s year without a title after no champion was declared last season because of Operation “12 Days.”
The title was Maccabi’s 58th in Israel, and captain John DiBartolomeo lifted the trophy again after a tense, back-and-forth game at the arena. Maccabi opened with Iffe Lundberg, DiBartolomeo, Will Rayman, Jaylen Hoard and Roman Sorkin, while Dimitris Itoudis started Vasilije Micic, Yam Madar, Tomer Ginat, Ish Wainright and Tai Odiase for Hapoel.
The first half stayed tight, with Hapoel leading 43-42 at the break after Micic made one free throw with 0.3 seconds left in the second quarter. Maccabi briefly led 55-50 early in the third quarter, but Hapoel answered and Madar beat the buzzer to put the Reds ahead 64-62 entering the final period.
The fourth quarter was decided in the closing minutes. Maccabi led 74-71 before Lundberg helped stretch it to 81-76, and Madar hit a huge three-pointer with 16.2 seconds left to cut the gap to 81-79. Sorkin sealed it with a final basket, and Maccabi completed its championship run.
