Maccabi Tel Aviv fear Tamir Blatt's season may be over

After two overtimes: Panathinaikos forced a fifth game in the final series / Sport1

Maccabi Tel Aviv took a major step last night (Wednesday) toward a fourth straight appearance in the playoff final, after defeating Hapoel Holon 84:74 on the road and going up 2:0 in the semifinal series. The Yellow and Blues will try to finish the job in Friday's home game (15:00) at Menora Hall. But despite the victory, most of the attention at the club is focused on Tamir Blatt. The guard was injured during the second quarter, went down to the locker room and was diagnosed with a calf muscle injury. He will undergo an examination today that will clarify the severity of the injury, and Maccabi are not optimistic about his return this season. "Even if it's only a strain, that means two to three weeks out," said people at the club. "By then the season will already be over." Of course, if there is a tear, even a partial one, the absence will be much longer. Join the Walla Sport and Kia guessing game.

Maccabi / Danny Maron How frustrating. Blatt / Danny Maron

Jimi Clark, who has not played in recent weeks because of a hip injury, will return to the roster for Game 3 in the series after receiving clearance from the medical staff. Maccabi will try to get him back into rhythm before the approaching playoff final, while also carefully managing his minutes so as not to risk his fitness.

Back to the game: Oded Katash's team took control from the opening tip, mainly thanks to offensive rebounding and Jalen Hord's excellent play. The forward finished with 30 points, one short of his career high, along with 15 rebounds, including 8 on the offensive glass, a number that matched his career high. Hord also posted a performance index rating of 45, tying Nikola Vujcic for first place in playoff PIR in Maccabi Tel Aviv history. After Maccabi built a double-digit lead, it protected it very well and comfortably stopped Holon's comeback attempt early in the second half.

Good moments. Lundberg / Danny Maron

"I tried to be aggressive, that has been my focus since the start of the playoffs, to try to help the team go as far as possible," Hord summed up. "Everyone tried to get me into rhythm, and that helped me a lot. I'm happy I had a good game. I had ups and downs, you can't always be aggressive, but I try. I know that when I'm aggressive I have good games. That's my focus, and it's something I'm trying to improve, consistency."

Absent last night was Lonnie Walker. The Yellow and Blues' scorer had not practiced since Monday and only returned to team activity yesterday. He is expected to practice again today, and Maccabi will need to decide whether to include him in the coming games or continue with David Appiani. The club made clear that Walker was not punished for not arriving at the first game of the series, and that they respect his decision. Maccabi hope that if he returns to the court, he will show his best basketball. "Sometimes it's hard to look good when your mind is occupied with other things," said the club.