Maccabi Tel Aviv Dominates Hapoel Galil Elyon in Season Opener

Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball club opened its 2026/27 Israeli Premier League season with a resounding 120-93 victory over Hapoel Galil Elyon on Saturday night. The game, held at Yad Eliyahu Arena, attracted 10,461 spectators.

The highly anticipated season opener quickly turned into a one-sided affair, with Maccabi establishing a commanding lead from the outset. Yam Madar scored the first basket of the season, a three-pointer, just nine seconds into the game. By the 2:13 mark, Madar had already accumulated 10 points, putting Maccabi up 13-0.

Maccabi's dominance continued as they went on a 23-point run, including four three-pointers from reserve player Jimmy Clark, extending their lead to an impressive 36-6 within the first seven and a half minutes. The team set an all-time league record for points in a quarter, scoring 41 points in the first period. By halftime, Maccabi held a substantial 70-30 advantage.

The significant lead allowed coach Oded Katash, celebrating his 52nd birthday, to rest key players like Jalen Hurd and limit Madar's playing time. Despite a defensive lapse in the third quarter, where they conceded 27 points, Maccabi still outscored Galil Elyon 32-27, highlighted by a half-court buzzer-beater from captain John DiBartolomeo. Although Galil Elyon won the final quarter 36-18, narrowing the deficit to 27 points, Maccabi's initial dominance secured the decisive win.

Maccabi's statistical highlights included 19 three-pointers on 36 attempts, 28 assists, and 10 steals. Clark led the team with 16 points and 9 assists, while T.J. Leaf and DiBartolomeo each added 15 points. Kiton Wallace and Will Rayman scored 14 points apiece, with Wallace also contributing 6 assists. Madar and Amit Avv scored 10 points each, and Roman Sorkin added 9. For Hapoel Galil Elyon, Maurice Blega was the top scorer with 27 points, and Rani Blega contributed 11 points in his league debut.

The game also saw Maccabi fans displaying banners urging the EuroLeague to grant them home-court advantage in the competition, with EuroLeague CEO Chus Bueno and Competition Manager Diego Gian in attendance as guests of Shimon Mizrahi.