Netanya Faces Season-Defining Survival Test Against Ness Ziona

Iurbani Ness Ziona will host Elitzur Netanya tonight, Monday at 19:00, in Game 4 of the lower playoff round in the Israeli Basketball Premier League. The teams met in the previous round, when Ness Ziona earned a crucial road win that officially secured its place in the top division for another season, while Netanya arrives under real relegation threat.

Poul Korsaro’s Ness Ziona is on a three-game winning streak, and the club says it wants players to keep their focus and commitment through the final three rounds despite already clinching survival. For Netanya, however, the stakes could not be higher, and the club has made a late change in the coaching structure ahead of the decisive stretch.

Elie Rabi has moved into a role within the team’s professional staff, and assistant coach Ilan Amar will serve as head coach for tonight’s game. The club says the change was considered for some time and was implemented specifically for this critical stage of the season.

The relegation scenarios are clear. If Netanya loses and Hapoel Galil Elyon beats Maccabi Ra'anana in the parallel game, Netanya will be officially relegated to the National League. If Netanya wins and Ra'anana also wins, the yellow team stays alive in the survival battle and will still control its fate over the final two rounds. A club source said, “In our case we will need a miracle to stay up. Everyone is tense, everyone understands the significance, and we hope it does not end today. This is a fight for our lives in the league.”