Hapoel Jerusalem cruised to a 92-69 win over Hapoel Holon at the Toto Hall in the marquee matchup of the Israeli Basketball Premier League’s opening round. Following a competitive first half, with Jerusalem leading 16-15 after the first quarter and 43-37 at halftime, the visitors pulled away in a one-sided second half.

Kenny Lofton Jr. and Jalen Smith scored 15 points apiece, while Nimrod Levi and Eitan Burg added 12 each in the win while Adama Sanogo scored 20 points before being ejected in the fourth quarter as Shahar Amir scored 13 and Rivaldo Soares added 11 points in the loss.

Jerusalem Head Coach Sasa Obradovic was pleased with the performance, “This is a great win. First of all, I want to thank our amazing fans. They were our sixth man. This game was very important for the Israeli players who scored 39 points. We raised our level defensively, which made it easier to create opportunities and I’m happy with the way we won the game. There are no favorites in any competition. If you look at last season’s history, we lost to this team twice.”

Yotam Hanochi also spoke about the victory after having been honored prior to the game by his former club, “This is a place I really love and there are people here I really love. But once the game starts, I become a different person. It’s great to win here.”

Holon coach Predrag Krunic acknowledged that his team struggled to maintain its first-half level, “It’s the beginning of the season and it was a tough game. We played solid basketball in the first half and at the beginning of the second half, we controlled things on both ends of the floor. We knew we were facing a solid team, but after that break, we lost the game.”

Shahar Amir was disappointed with the way Holon opened its campaign, “It’s frustrating to start the season like this. We wanted it to look different. As you can see, unfortunately, we’re not ready yet and injuries have played a part. The atmosphere and the crowd in this game give you a boost in the first half and people play better. Holon’s fans always expect a lot, and we know that. Everyone who comes here understands the pressure and it pushes us forward.”

Hapoel Tel Aviv began its Israeli Premier League campaign with a 95-82 road victory over Hapoel Beer Sheva. The Reds faced a determined opponent in the opening quarter, holding a narrow 24-23 lead before gradually creating some separation in the second period to take a 44-35 advantage into halftime. The hosts fell behind by 14 points in the third quarter but rallied to cut the deficit to just two, 64-62, by the end of the frame., but Hapoel Tel Aviv put their game into high gear and pulled away to secure the victory.

Dan Oturu led the way with 21 points, Eugene German scored 20 points and Tai Odiase put in 12 points in the win while Christian Coleman scored 24 points and grabbed 16 rebounds, Lovell Cabbil added 17 points and Noam Avivi scored 14 points in the loss.

Hapoel Tel Aviv coach Dimitrios Itoudis was pleased to begin the season with a win, “We started the league with a victory and that’s important for all of us, the players, the club and the entire organization. For most of the game, we had the right attitude and approached it seriously. We made adjustments at halftime, and most of our rebounds came after good defensive possessions.

Eugene German also spoke about the win, “We came out and played together as one team, showing good physicality throughout all 40 minutes. I felt great and comfortable out there. I think I come into every game looking to prove myself and I’m confident I can lead the team in domestic competition. The coach believes in me, he trusts me.

Ironi Kiryat Ata edged Hapoel HaEmek with an 86-85 home victory, surviving a dramatic finish in the opening round. HaEmek got off to the better start, taking a 26-19 lead after the first quarter, but Kiryat Ata gradually turned the game around. Led by captain Tomer Asayag, who delivered a career-high 26 points, the hosts built a 12-point advantage in the fourth quarter. HaEmek, powered by 22 points from Karel Guzman mounted a 12-1 run down the stretch and had a chance to steal the game but Niv Misgav missed a three-pointer just before the final buzzer.

Asayag scored 26 poimts, David Green added 18 points and Tyrece Radford scored 9 points in the win as Malik Hall recorded 15 points, Christian Mekowulu added 12 points and CJ Eleby scored 9 point in the loss.

Kiryat Ata coach Eldad Bentov was proud of his team’s resilience, “There is nothing more fulfilling than seeing these players, both those who are returning from last season and the young guys who have joined us and had never played on a Premier League court before today. We didn’t stick to our game plan, but the heart and soul of these players brought us the win.”

HaEmek coach Sharon Avrahami was left disappointed by his team’s inability to maintain its early momentum, “We started well, went inside and controlled the rebounds. In the middle of the second quarter, we completely abandoned our game plan and couldn’t get back to it. We expected to look better. It’s very disappointing, but we’ll have to learn from this and make adjustments going forward.”

Asayag reflected on the moment, “We’re always there for one another. That’s our secret. It wasn’t our most polished game, but it was a game of heart and soul and I’m happy it went our way. It was a close call with my hamstring, but I wasn’t going to celebrate any less.”