Sport5Sports23:01

Hapoel Tel Aviv Blows 23-Point Lead, Loses to Maccabi Tel Aviv in Final

By נועה פופלינגר

Translated & summarized from Sport5 by baba

SportsCharged tone

Hebrew · 4 newsrooms covering

Hapoel Tel Aviv lost the Winner Cup final to Maccabi Tel Aviv 86-75 after leading by 23 points, missing a chance to win their first title since 1993. Coach Itoudis blamed poor defense and turnovers for the collapse, dismissing suggestions of a mental block. The team is continuing efforts to secure a EuroLeague license.

The story in 5 lines · by baba

Hapoel Tel Aviv lost the Winner Cup final to Maccabi Tel Aviv 86-75 after a significant lead.
The team blew a 23-point advantage in the third quarter, missing a title chance since 1993.
Coach Itoudis cited a failure to handle Maccabi's aggression and poor ball management.
Itoudis dismissed the idea of a mental block, emphasizing recent team performance.
Hapoel Tel Aviv is actively pursuing a EuroLeague license.

Hapoel Tel Aviv Blows 23-Point Lead, Loses to Maccabi Tel Aviv in Final — Editorial illustration generated by baba News, not a photograph of the event.

Hapoel Tel Aviv lost the Winner Cup final to Maccabi Tel Aviv 86-75, squandering a 23-point lead midway through the third quarter. This loss marked another missed opportunity for Hapoel to secure their first title since 1993 against their archrivals.

"We gave up. We gave up 31 points from turnovers, we lost the ball again and again, and they slowly came back," said coach Itoudis, attributing the collapse to a failure to handle Maccabi's aggression and poor ball management. "We couldn't cope with their aggressiveness, all credit to Maccabi Tel Aviv for the win."

When asked if the loss was a mental block, Itoudis expressed impatience, stating, "I wasn't here 33 years ago, I've been here two years. Let's not make a story out of this. We had great momentum, we built something, it wasn't heroic, we just didn't defend smartly and didn't manage the ball well, and they came back into the game."

Itoudis also commented on the team's efforts to obtain a EuroLeague license, noting, "We are making great efforts for it. The EuroLeague sees us as a club that can be part of it, show stability, and build a good roster."