Hapoel Tel Aviv eased past Hapoel Haifa 97-66 to snatch a 1-0 lead in their quarterfinal series. The hosts came out strong as John Holland scored at will to help the reds to a 48-30 lead and never looked back to chalk up the win. Holland led the way with 27 points, Jaylen Hoard added 19 points and Isaiah Miles scored 13 points in the victory while Alex Hamilton and Marcus Bingham each scored 15 points in the loss.

“We didn’t start well but John Holland came in time to help us improve offensively,” Hapoel Tel Aviv Head Coach Stefanos Dedas said. “There is no real importance by the wide margin because every playoff game is a new contest and they each begin 0-0.”

“There’s nothing to do now, we just have to know how to put this game behind us and look ahead to the next,” Haifa coach Guy Goodes said. “We needed more focus, more aggressiveness, those are the basics. We turned over the ball 19 times and we have to react quickly.”

The game MVP John Holland said, “Everything begins with defense and it was important for us to begin the series here with a totally different playoff atmosphere. It feels like it’s been a year since we played at the Drive In. The fans pushing us was incredible and it’s great to play here.”