Hapoel defeated Maccabi 85-80 in a dramatic Tel Aviv Derby that saw superb shooting, clutch baskets and all-around great play from both teams but it was the reds who came out in top as Antonio Blakeney’s late game sharpshooting helped Dimitrios Itoudis’s team take the victory.

Johnathan Motley and Roman Sorkin battled all game long while Tyler Ennis and Tamir Blatt did the same but key baskets by Elijah Bryant at the end of the third quarter and Blakeney’s incredible baskets from long distance made all the difference as time wound down to help Hapoel to the win.

Motley scored 20 points, Blakeney added 19 points and Bryant put in 16 points for the reds while Sorkin scored 26 points and Blatt put in 14 points for the yellow-and-blue.

This was unlike any other Derby from the recent past with Hapoel Tel Aviv entering the contest as the clear favorites over Maccabi Tel Aviv despite the yellow-and-blue having defeated the reds in a Euroleague clash back in October. Unlike the soccer Derby that never began due to the police calling the match off after a fireworks, flares and smoke grenades display ruined what was going to be a thrilling evening for close to 30K fans, the basketball version went off without a hitch.

Both teams didn’t have their most heralded offseason signing with Vasilije Micic and Lonnie Walker not listed for this contest to the surprise and dismay of many, but regardless of the two “superstars” not being available, once the ball went up into the air the fans forgot all about who wasn’t playing but who was representing them on the court.

Bar Timor, Antonio Blakeney and Johnathan Motley all scored for Hapoel Tel Aviv to start of the game while Roman Sorkin, Jeff Dowtin and Jaylen Hoard responded for Maccabi Tel Aviv, Tyler Ennis found points as did Tamir Blatt, Motley put down a pair of dunks while Marcio Santos put in a 3-point play to give the visitors a slim 25-23 lead after ten minutes of play.

Johnathan Motley is quite the player. The big man controlled the Hapoel offense in the opening quarter and was certainly a site for sore eyes for the red faithful after he had not been dressed for the Winner Cup final last week when Hapoel Jerusalem took the title. Motley played a significant role last season in helping the club win the EuroCup and is an asset for head coach Dimitrios Itoudis when he’s on the court.

Santos with a layup and Leaf with a dunk got the second quarter underway forcing Itoudis to call for a timeout, Tyler Ennis hit a pair from deep but was then hit with his third foul on a questionable call, but Hapoel took the ball hard to the hoop and got calls of their own with Elijah Bryant scoring to tie the game up at 35-35 midway through the period. Oturu scored in the paint, Oshae Brissett and Motley traded triples, Sorkin hit a jumper and added an uncontested layup as did Dowtin, while Blatt hit a 3-pointer to end the first half with Maccabi in front 49-41.

Itoudis’s Israeli contingent rarely plays in the Euroleague but in the local competition there’s no choice as one has to be on the court at all times. There has been talk that this was going to be an issue in this Derby with Maccabi’s Israelis playing a much bigger role in Europe and that Hapoel would have some issues. This would be due to the likes of Roman Sorkin, Tamir Blatt and TJ Leaf perhaps playing better and more significant minutes than Bar Timor, Guy Palatin and Oz Blayzer. But Maccabi has even more Israeli depth with John Dibartolomeo, Will Rayman and Gur Lavi earning plenty of playing time. In fact, in the first half alone Maccabi’s Israelis outscored Hapoel’s 24-6 showing the difference and impact that they can make on the floor.

Roman Sorkin was dominant in the second quarter dunking with ease, hitting wide open jumpers as well as blocking both of the Reds big men Dan Oturu and Johnathan Motley as well as grabbing one board after the next. Sorkin has been a key cog for Oded Katash this season as he keeps improving by leaps and bounds. Over the summer Sorkin has been even rumoured to be heading to the NBA as he had impressed many a scout at the Eurobasket group stages in Poland. But thankfully for Katash and Maccabi he’s still in yellow-and-blue making a difference in the first half of the Derby with a dozen points to lead all players in scoring.

 

Oturu scored on the inside and Blakeney from the outside to start off the third quarter, Sorkin put in a deuce at the other end, Blatt and Ennis traded triples, Motley found points in the paint, Bryant went from downtown, Santos scored, Motley went from deep while a pair of Bryant free throws pulled Hapoel to within a single point, 62-61 after thirty minutes of action.

Elijah Bryant was playing in his first Tel Aviv Derby for Hapoel at Yad Eliyahu and after a very quiet first half, the former Maccabi guard made his mark on the game as he helped take the reds from a double digit deficit to just a lone point by the end of the third period. When Bryant heats up he can score and score and score. Whether it’s from inside the arc, outside of it or from the charity stripe he has one of the nicest strokes in the game. He’s piled in the points for Hapoel in the Euroleague so far this season so to see him do the same in the Israeli league should be to no one’s surprise.

Blakeney drained a 3-pointer to begin the final frame, Sorkin again scored inside and then from beyond the arc, Hoard came flying in for a dunkaroo, Ennis put in a layup, Motley dunked and Blakeney scored to pull to within a point, 73-72 with 3:14 remaining in regulation time. Dowtin hit a jumper, Motley scored in the paint, Blakeney and Sorkin traded triples, Bryant and Blakeney both went from deep, Dowtin missed from deep while Motley dunked to seal the Derby win for the Reds.

You can never count out a team that has one of the best shooters in the game in one Antonio Blakeney. AB or Automatic Bucket can make something out of nothing and that exactly what he did when he scored 11 points in the final frame with a pair of cloth triples coming in the money of money time. First to tie the game up at 77-77 and then to take the lead for good 83-80. Blakeney saved the day and gave the Hapoel fans the greatest celebration of all, a win over Maccabi in the Tel Aviv Derby.