Hapoel Tel Aviv Sees Lowest Home Attendance in 9 Years Despite Win

Hapoel Tel Aviv secured a 78-71 victory over Bnei Herzliya in the Israeli Basketball Premier League on Saturday, returning them to second place in the standings. However, the win was overshadowed by a concerningly low attendance of 1,153 spectators at the Drive in Arena, marking the smallest crowd for a home league game since May 2017. Club officials acknowledged that little could be taken from the game itself, emphasizing the loss of fan confidence as the primary issue. The team had previously moved to the Drive in Arena following fan pressure against playing at Menora Mivtachim Arena. The club had also struggled with season ticket sales prior to the season's start. Hapoel Tel Aviv will now focus on their upcoming EuroLeague schedule, facing Baskonia on Tuesday and Paris on Thursday, aiming to improve their performance in the European competition and avoid dropping out of the top ten. Several key players, including Vasilije Micić, Elijah Bryant, Dan Orlov, and Amir Coffey, were rested for the league game in preparation for these European fixtures. "There is nothing to take from this game except the win," stated club sources. "There were players who usually play less and this time played more and proved themselves. Some players were rested and we hope to start a new path from here."