Israel Basketball Team Faces Croatia Without Captain Tomer Ginat After Injury

The Israeli national basketball team lost 92-86 to Germany on Friday in the 2027 World Cup qualifiers, dropping to a 2-3 record and narrowing their chances to advance. Despite having already secured a spot in the second group stage, another loss against Croatia on Monday in Osijek could severely damage their qualification hopes. The team played with only 11 players after receiving a last-minute demand from FIBA to pay an additional 35,000 euros for Noam Yaakov's insurance due to his medical condition. The Israeli Basketball Association refused to pay, resulting in Yaakov missing both the Germany and upcoming Croatia games.

The team expressed frustration over the insurance demand, calling it unreasonable and denying any mistakes on their part. Hapoel Tel Aviv clarified that after releasing Yam Madar, he is no longer insured by the club, placing responsibility on the Israeli Basketball Association. A senior team official criticized the leak of the insurance letter, suggesting it was an attempt to disrupt the team.

On the court, Israel struggled against Germany, with standout performances from Yam Madar and Tomer Ginat, who scored career-high 31 and 21 points respectively, and a strong second half by Kadin Carrington. Despite a late comeback reducing a 21-point deficit to six, Israel could not overcome Germany's physicality and shooting accuracy. Coach Yair Karivitz praised the players' effort but acknowledged the loss.

The team is set to fly from Riga to Croatia ahead of Monday's crucial match. Croatia, favored to win, recently defeated Cyprus convincingly and will field three NBA players plus Mario Hezonja. Captain Tomer Ginat will return to Israel due to injury, while Lior Carrera, who did not play against Germany, is expected to participate against Croatia.