Hapoel Tel Aviv Suffers EuroLeague Loss, Needs to Learn From Mistakes
Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba
Hapoel Tel Aviv lost to Barcelona 93-90 in the EuroLeague on Thursday, dropping to a 6-4 record and out of the top six. Key players Vasilije Micić and Elijah Bryant scored 49 combined points, but insufficient support from teammates and a significant run by Barcelona in the third quarter proved decisive. The team must quickly regroup for a derby against Maccabi Tel Aviv on Monday in the Winner Cup final, followed by another EuroLeague clash later that week.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Hapoel Tel Aviv lost to Barcelona 93-90 in the EuroLeague, falling to a 6-4 record.
- Vasilije Micić and Elijah Bryant combined for 49 points in the losing effort.
- Barcelona's 21-2 run in the third quarter was a turning point in the game.
- Hapoel Tel Aviv faces Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Winner Cup final on Monday.
- Tamir Blatt was dressed for the first time in EuroLeague but did not play.
- Thomas Satoransky was sidelined due to a suspected concussion.
Hapoel Tel Aviv's momentum from their derby win in the domestic league faltered in the EuroLeague on Thursday, as they lost 93-90 to Barcelona in Sofia. The defeat marked their second consecutive loss in the competition, dropping their record to six wins and four losses and falling out of the top six. Despite a late surge that brought them within a three-pointer of overtime, Hapoel allowed Barcelona to go on a significant 21-2 run in the third quarter, and the visitors extended their lead to 14 points in the final quarter. Vasilije Micić and Elijah Bryant were the standout performers for Hapoel, combining for 49 points, more than half of the team's total. Bryant scored 25 points, with 18 coming in the second half, while Micić added 24 points and seven assists. Micić acknowledged the difficulty of the loss, stating, "We need to learn the lesson from this game. I think we had some good minutes in the game alongside very bad minutes. We must learn from these bad minutes."
The team's struggles were compounded by a lack of offensive contribution from other key players. Antonio Blakeney scored only seven points, Zach LeDay had five, and Amir Coffey added four. Hapoel relies on these players for significantly more scoring. While Dan O'Rourke contributed 11 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 steals, eight of his points came in the first half, indicating a performance below expectations. The team also faced roster decisions, with Tomer Ginat and Kadeem Carrington not being registered for the EuroLeague game despite being healthy. Tamir Blatt was dressed for the first time this season but did not play, and Thomas Satoransky was sidelined due to a suspected concussion. Coach Dimitris Itoudis did not utilize Blatt even when the team was struggling offensively.
Hapoel Tel Aviv has little time to dwell on this disappointing loss, as they are set to face Maccabi Tel Aviv again in a derby on Monday for the Winner Cup final. The two teams will meet for the third time in 12 days on Thursday, when Maccabi Tel Aviv will host Hapoel Tel Aviv in Cyprus for a EuroLeague matchup.
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