Israel Basketball Team Falls 101-90 to Georgia in Final World Cup Warm-Up

The Israeli national basketball team lost 101-90 to Georgia in a closely contested preparation match on Sunday evening. This game marked Israel's final warm-up before the World Cup qualifiers, where they will face Poland on Thursday and Latvia the following Sunday. Roman Sorkin led Israel with 25 points, supported by Yam Madar's 16 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists, and Adam Ariel's 15 points. Kadyn Carrington added 12 points, while Tamir Blatt contributed 8 points and 7 assists.

Georgia's top performers included Goga Bitadze with 22 points, Sandro Mamukelashvili with 20, and Toko Shengelia who scored 17 points and grabbed 9 rebounds. Israeli coach Ariel Beit Halachmi started with a lineup featuring Madar, Carrington, Guy Peltin, Natanel Artzi, and Sorkin. Georgia's coach Alexander Džikić countered with a strong starting five including his three star players Mamukelashvili, Shengelia, and Bitadze.

Israel began the game strongly, building a double-digit lead in the first quarter through Sorkin's dominance and Madar's versatile contributions. However, Georgia rallied in the second quarter, and the match remained tight until the final minutes. Georgia pulled away with a decisive 15-3 run late in the fourth quarter to secure the victory. Israel now shifts focus to the upcoming World Cup qualifying matches against Poland and Latvia.