Maccabi Tel Aviv defeated Hapoel Tel Aviv 80-73 in a hard-fought EuroLeague derby in Cyprus, where both teams are playing their home games due to the security situation in Israel. In the third Tel Aviv Derby in roughly a week that saw Hapoel win in Israeli league play while Maccabi was victorious in the Winner Cup Final, it was time to see who would win the mini-series between the pair of teams.

The two sides battled back and forth throughout 40 minutes of physical, intense basketball, but the yellow-and-blue came away with the victory thanks to clutch free throws from Yam Madar down the stretch and an outstanding performance from Bonzie Colson.

Colson and Jimmy Clark led Maccabi with 14 points apiece, while Daniel Theis and Madar each chipped in with 10 points. On the other side, Vasilije Micic scored 14 points, while Dan Oturu and Amir Coffey added 13 points apiece for the Reds.

Maccabi Head Coach Oded Katash reflected on the victory, “We started well defensively and followed our game plan. Yam’s performance was really special in this game, and Bonzie played well. This game will give us confidence going forward, but what was important was that we knew how to win this game and use that moving ahead. We knew we were better than our record indicated, and we had to use that to put in the performance we did here.”

Hapoel Head Coach Dimitris Itoudis looked back on the defeat, “We were a little low on energy at the beginning of the game, but we changed that drastically at the start of the third quarter with a 17-4 run. We picked up the pace and played very good defense, but the 18 turnovers cost us. We will move on to the next game.”

Madar spoke about the important win, “I feel good, and I’m really happy about the win. We started the game well, but when Hapoel got back into it, we all stayed together to make sure we won. I’m especially happy for the guys after such a tough time over the past little while.”

Game MVP Colson also discussed the victory, “We’ve had a tough few weeks, but we’ve been practicing, watching film, and trying to figure out how to address our problems and get a win. Things are starting to come together, which is important for our confidence. We need to stay hungry and keep moving forward into the next games, which won’t be easy either.”

Jaylen Hoard and Roman Sorkin got Maccabi going early, while Madar attacked the basket and Keaton Wallace answered from the outside. Theis added points in the paint, while Coffey and Tomer Ginat responded for Hapoel. However, the yellow-and-blue took a 25-21 lead after the opening quarter.

Tai Odiase and Theis traded baskets to open the second quarter, before Antonio Blakeney connected from beyond the arc. Elijah Bryant and John DiBartolomeo each knocked down three-pointers, while Oturu scored inside. Clark also got on the scoreboard as Katash’s squad extended its advantage to 41-33 at halftime.

Micic and Coffey quickly cut into the deficit to open the third quarter, while Oturu, Odiase, and Bryant helped Hapoel build momentum. However, Colson and Sorkin answered from beyond the arc to keep Maccabi in front, 56-52, heading into the final frame.

Coffey, Tomas Satoransky, and Ish Wainright all found the basket to open the fourth quarter, while Clark responded with a pair of three-pointers. Oturu threw down a dunk and Micic connected from deep to keep the Reds within striking distance. But Madar calmly knocked down his free throws in the closing moments and Theis added a dunk to put the finishing touches on Maccabi’s 80-73 derby victory.