Hapoel Tel Aviv Dominates Maccabi Tel Aviv in Basketball Derby

Hapoel Tel Aviv's basketball team secured a decisive 105-87 victory over archrivals Maccabi Tel Aviv in a league game on Sunday, following their football team's recent derby win and Toto Cup triumph. The basketball team's star player, Vasilije Micić, who played his first league game of the season, was instrumental in the win, scoring 31 points and earning widespread praise. Serbian outlet Meridian Sport highlighted Micić's performance as his best since returning to Europe, noting it demonstrated why he is a two-time European champion and the highest-paid player on the continent. The article also mentioned that Micić set a personal record in Israel during the game.

Maccabi Tel Aviv is currently on a five-game losing streak across all competitions and faces upcoming crucial games, including a EuroLeague matchup against Partizan Belgrade on Friday, followed by two more derbies within the next ten days: the Winner Cup final and another EuroLeague clash. Hapoel Tel Aviv, recovering from a surprising loss to Dubai, is set to host Barcelona in the EuroLeague on Thursday before their own upcoming derby matches.

Hapoel's captain, Tomer Ginat, acknowledged the team's strong desire to win the derby, especially after a previous loss to Jerusalem. He emphasized the importance of maintaining composure, stating that while they would celebrate the win briefly, the focus would quickly shift to upcoming challenges, including two derbies in the next ten days and the game against Barcelona.