Hapoel Tel Aviv Blows 23-Point Lead, Loses to Maccabi Tel Aviv in Final

Hapoel Tel Aviv lost the Winner Cup final to Maccabi Tel Aviv 86-75, squandering a 23-point lead midway through the third quarter. This loss marked another missed opportunity for Hapoel to secure their first title since 1993 against their archrivals.

"We gave up. We gave up 31 points from turnovers, we lost the ball again and again, and they slowly came back," said coach Itoudis, attributing the collapse to a failure to handle Maccabi's aggression and poor ball management. "We couldn't cope with their aggressiveness, all credit to Maccabi Tel Aviv for the win."

When asked if the loss was a mental block, Itoudis expressed impatience, stating, "I wasn't here 33 years ago, I've been here two years. Let's not make a story out of this. We had great momentum, we built something, it wasn't heroic, we just didn't defend smartly and didn't manage the ball well, and they came back into the game."

Itoudis also commented on the team's efforts to obtain a EuroLeague license, noting, "We are making great efforts for it. The EuroLeague sees us as a club that can be part of it, show stability, and build a good roster."