Maccabi Tel Aviv Wins 58th Israeli Basketball Championship
Maccabi Tel Aviv captured the Israeli basketball title on Tuesday night after edging Hapoel in the city derby, 81-79, to seal the best-of-five final 3-1. It is the club’s 58th championship in its history.
Maccabi had opened the series with a dominant 96-75 win and then took the second game 102-98, but it lost the third game 80-74 and missed a chance to clinch a clean sweep and celebrate at home on Sunday. Hapoel, coached by Dimitris Itoudis, was trying to force a fifth and deciding game and keep its title hopes alive.
Lonnie Walker, Roman Sorkin and Jasiel Rivero led Maccabi in a tight contest decided in the fourth quarter. For Hapoel, Yam Madar and Tomer Ginat stood out, but they could not become the first team in Israeli basketball history to erase a 2-0 deficit in a championship series.
The result ensures that Israeli basketball’s top trophy stays in Maccabi Tel Aviv’s crowded cabinet. Last year’s final between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Jerusalem was stopped at 1-1, and the decisive game was canceled because of Operation With the Lion, leaving the season without a champion.
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