Hapoel Jerusalem Coach Obradović Furious Despite Winning Streak
Translated & summarized from N12 by baba
Hapoel Jerusalem defeated Hapoel HaEmek 65-59 to remain undefeated in the Winner League, but coach Saša Obradović was highly critical of his team's performance. He described the win as their fourth straight poor showing, citing a lack of focus and subpar play. The team faces Maccabi Tel Aviv next, while guard Jared Harper is nearing a return from injury.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Hapoel Jerusalem coach Saša Obradović criticized his team's performance despite a 65-59 win.
- Obradović called the victory their fourth consecutive poor showing, stating the team played at "80 percent."
- The team secured a 65-59 win over Hapoel HaEmek to maintain a 5-0 league record.
- Jerusalem dominated rebounding, outrebounding opponents 49-30.
- Guard Jared Harper is nearing a return to play after recovering from injury.
- Hapoel Jerusalem will face Maccabi Tel Aviv next Saturday.
Hapoel Jerusalem secured a narrow 65-59 victory over Hapoel HaEmek at the Pais Arena on Sunday, maintaining their perfect 5-0 record in the Winner League. Despite the win, coach Saša Obradović expressed extreme dissatisfaction with his team's performance, calling it their fourth consecutive poor showing. Obradović criticized the team's offensive efficiency, noting a mere 36.8% field goal percentage, and highlighted a lack of focus, evidenced by numerous technical fouls.
"We consider ourselves good, we feel we can win every game, and give our rivals a head start, but it won't always be like this," Obradović stated at the post-game press conference. He added, "The amount of technicals we received indicates we weren't focused, we weren't concentrated on basketball. We played at 80 percent, sometimes 90, it's simply not enough. We need to respect the opponent and ourselves. This was very far from the basketball we want to play, what we saw tonight was far from basketball at all."
The coach's frustration extended to the locker room, where he reportedly yelled at his players about their attitude hindering their season goals. Jerusalem dominated the boards, outrebounding HaEmek 49-30, including 19 offensive rebounds, which proved crucial despite offensive struggles.
Looking ahead, Hapoel Jerusalem faces a significant challenge next Saturday against Maccabi Tel Aviv at Menora Mivtachim Arena. In positive news for the team, guard Jared Harper is progressing well in his recovery, having returned to contact and ball drills, nearing his return to the court.
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