Hapoel Tel Aviv Criticizes Refereeing After EuroLeague Loss to Valencia

Hapoel Tel Aviv suffered a 93-82 defeat to Valencia in a EuroLeague game on Thursday, dropping their season record to 2-2. Valencia led for most of the game, at one point holding a 19-point advantage in the third quarter. Despite a career-high 30 points from Hapoel's Antonio Blakeney, the team could not overcome the deficit. Coach Dimitris Itoudis acknowledged Valencia's aggressive start and their ability to find open three-pointers, which Hapoel failed to defend effectively in the first quarter, ending it down 32-17. Player Tai Odiase agreed that Valencia's shooting comfort and inability to be stopped were key factors. Following the game, members of the Hapoel Tel Aviv team expressed strong criticism of the officiating, stating that the referees "harmed us" and that "Valencia does not need help from the referees." They pointed to a critical stretch in the third quarter when the score was 47-45, after which a series of calls allegedly favored Valencia, leading to them receiving 7-9 free throws compared to Hapoel's zero. Itoudis reiterated his frustration with these calls, particularly after Hapoel had managed to cut the deficit to two points. Blakeney, while acknowledging Valencia's strong performance, expressed optimism about his team's ability to analyze the game and improve. Hapoel Tel Aviv will now turn their attention to the Israeli Basketball Premier League, facing Hapoel Be'er Sheva on Sunday, before a challenging double week in the EuroLeague with games against Besiktas and Panathinaikos.