Maccabi Tel Aviv scored a huge KO when they topped Hapoel Jerusalem 87-72 in the Israel State Cup final to capture their 46th title in fine fashion. The yellow-and-blue were running on all cylinders as they saw Rokas Jokubaitis and Levi Randolph pick up where they left off in their semifinal overtime win against Hapoel Tel Aviv.

The duo proved to be unstoppable in the third quarter while Tamir Blatt, Jasiel Rivero and Roman Sorkin all provided offense in what was a decisive period that just saw Maccabi go for the proverbial jugular and that was that as they cruised to the win and hoisted the cup to their fans delight.

It was quite incredible to see how Maccabi took hold of the State Cup week and did what they had to do which was to win a significant title in a season that headed south very quickly in the Euroleague. While they are in first place in the domestic league, that’s just not good enough in the top continental competition and the players along with the staff knew that very well. With that knowledge in their pocket they knew full well that the expectations would be sky high domestically and they passed their first test with flying colors.

So much so that in reality, Maccabi needed to win this cup and win it badly while both Hapoel Tel Aviv and Hapoel Jerusalem are still in the thick of the EuroCup, each with a bye to the quarterfinal stage. Both are high quality teams, don’t ever think otherwise, but Maccabi is well still Maccabi and they made sure to let everyone know that while they may be having a brutal Euroleague season, they are still the top dog in Israel.

“There were concerns when we got to this week similar to what we had to deal with in the last two years,” Head Coach Oded Katash said. “We showed a lot of character and we were also lucky to win the semifinal. We knew we were up against quality teams, big credit to Hapoel Tel Aviv in the semifinal and to Jerusalem in the final. We have not won many games this season through our defense this season but in this game the defensive plan worked from the first moment.”

“Considering the season we are going through, there is now a feeling of pride and that we can enjoy what we did. Credit to the entire team, winning is always fun, especially in the cup, because it’s in the middle of the season and it gives a boost. But beyond just feeling good, we deserved it, we showed a lot of character. We are also well aware that the battle for the championship won’t be easy but right now we have to enjoy the moment because it’s really special.”

Jokubaitis who earned MVP honors took his game to another level in the State Cup and it seemed that he rose to the occasion and dumped out a ton of bad feelings about how poorly the team had been doing in Europe this year which is something that very much frustrated him.

“Amazing feeling,” the guard began. “We are in the middle of February and for the team, fans, players and coaches it’s the first time we gave them something to celebrate, I’m really happy for the whole club, it means a lot. It’s not the easiest season and we aren’t playing well in the Euroleague and we are sad that we can’t make the fans happy. It was hard with the trips and flights and it’s hard to understand what we did here for everyone, you don’t know what it means. I’m really happy for what this means to all of us.

The Lithuanian floor general continued, “We knew what was waiting for us and it doesn’t matter that we played badly in Europe but we know that the cup and league are important. Maccabi is the biggest club and there was more pressure on us as we have not delivered well in Europe. It’s not the easiest time for the coaching staff and Oded. I want to say thank you to him because he believed in me, he is a very good coach and I’m so happy for him. A lot of people think that this wasn’t the Maccabi of old but we showed Hapoel Tel Aviv and Hapoel Jerusalem that it doesn’t matter, we are still Maccabi, it’s a good feeling to win and we showed who is who. Maccabi is Maccabi, Maccabi didn’t disappear.”

Hapoel Jerusalem definitely understood that when they came apart at the seams in the third quarter and ran around like a chicken without a head, chucking the ball up at any chance and trying to just save the team from sinking quicker and quicker into the quicksand that was enveloping them.

However, strategy didn’t exactly work out too well for the Reds as coach Yonatan Alon explained, “The game unfolded in such a way that you saw this huge hole that open up and then the players tried to save the nation so to speak and try to be a hero. We didn’t play correctly whatsoever and we need to learn lessons on how to deal with bad starts, play effective and not go on a senseless rampage.“

Captain Yovel Zoosman agreed with his coach’s assessment of the situation, “We didn’t play our offense properly and the fact that we didn’t make any 3-pointers in the first half put us under pressure and we just lost our heads. We took crazy shots in the third quarter, those poor shots meant we didn’t get an offensive rebound and they went right into transition which they are very good at. The poor shots made it easier for them to go on the attack. They made tough baskets at the end of the clock that took the wind out of our sails. We didn’t play correctly and our level of intensity just wasn’t there.”

Maccabi can be credited for taking the reds right out of the game in that third period as they came out of halftime raring I go on both ends of the floor. Katash’s game plan worked to a “T” as his shortened rotation did the trick to polish off the game very neatly.

“We came more focused on our game plan and then we made more adjustments which allowed us to do a very good job on Jared Harper containing him and keeping him under wraps. In the third quarter the five guys we started off with played almost the entire quarter. We knew that this was the moment to finish off the game.”

Helping Katash do just that was Tamir Blatt who knocked down a trio of triples in the third while gliding all over the court after a poor first half.

“I really trust Tamir, we really trust him,” the Maccabi bench boss said. “He’s in a place where he’s already proven himself, even in the semifinals he didn’t give up his desire to make an impact. While he had a rough first half, he along with Rokas were mainly responsible for the third quarter run. We trust him a lot.”

As for Jokubaitis, Katash also expressed his appreciation in having a player of his caliber on the team, “Rokas arrived at Maccabi after a few years in the Euroleague and having played on big teams. I had no doubt that with time, like many of the guards who play in our system, he would adapt and develop. This is a significant week for him and he was great for us. He’s a great guy and I’m happy for him. He’s only going to get better.”

The feelings were mutual as Jokubaitis praised his head coach and explained what Katash had done for him in just a few months with the club, “I really think that he’s a big, big role as to why I like to play here, I really respect him as person and as a coach. I felt bad in the season that with the struggles and losses as he’s an amazing coach. Maybe we needed to change coaches but I felt inside of me, that he is the first person who believed in me and for a point guard to play for a coach like this, big thanks to him and what we saw this week. It’s a big accomplishment for me but it’s Oded who believes in me big. Thanks to him. He had many doubters but when you win the compliments all arrive.”