Hapoel Tel Aviv Recovers with Win Over Bnei Herzliya

Hapoel Tel Aviv bounced back from two recent derby losses, including a cup final defeat, by securing a 78-71 victory over Bnei Herzliya in the sixth round of the Winner League. This marks their second consecutive league win, improving their record to 4-1. The team, coached by Dimitris Itoudis, aims to extend their winning streak next Saturday when they host Ironi Kiryat Ata.

Tai Odiase was the standout performer with 21 points, while Tomer Ginat achieved a double-double with 14 points and 15 rebounds. Antonio Blakeney added 12 points and Bar Timor contributed 10. Hapoel Tel Aviv maintained the lead throughout the game, at one point holding a 16-point advantage. Their strong defense was key, limiting Herzliya to just nine points in the third quarter, which was when Hapoel established a significant lead.

Coach Itoudis commented on the win, stating, "We built the lead slowly through defense. We knew we couldn't give Herzliya an open court because they are dangerous and play at a high pace. We succeeded in that." He acknowledged a lapse in the third quarter where the team became "scattered" and slowed down, allowing Herzliya to close the gap, but concluded, "We did many good things and the win was deserved."

Addressing questions about potential arrogance leading to blown leads in previous games, Itoudis dismissed the notion. "We are not arrogant, but we don't play alone on the court, there is an opponent," he said. "Things like this happen." He suggested that while not arrogance, there might have been "a bit of carelessness, maybe a bit of complacency, a combination of things, but not arrogance."