Israel’s U20 Men’s National Team concluded the group stage of the FIBA U20 European Championship with an impressive 87–73 victory over the Czech Republic, led by Oren Sahar’s 16 points as they wrapped up the group stage portion of the tournament. Oren Aharoni’s squad came out sharp from the opening tip, moving the ball exceptionally well and getting contributions from everyone who stepped onto the floor. Israel finished the game with 27 assists, including 16 in the first half alone.

The young blue-and-white dominated the paint throughout the game, taking a commanding 49–30 lead into halftime. The second half was largely a formality, as the Czechs never mounted a serious challenge. Israel maintained its comfortable advantage, which peaked at 27 points and cruised to victory. With the win, Israel finished Group D with a 2–1 record, good for second place. The team will learn later today which opponent from Group C it will face in Wednesday’s Round of 16.

Israel got off to an excellent start, as five consecutive points from Alon Danieli sparked a quick 7–0 lead but Czechia responded with a 10–4 run of its own, however, Tamir Gold made an immediate impact off the bench, showcasing his versatility around the basket and scored eight points to help Israel take a 26–16 lead after the opening 10 minutes. Aharoni’s team continued to pull away early in the second quarter as a corner 3-ball by Rani Belaga extended the lead to 34–18 and Israel continued to put on an offensive clinic while the Czechs struggled to keep up. Juul Karam capped off a beautiful possession with a powerful dunk, Danieli added one of his own and Israel headed into the locker room with a commanding 49–30 advantage.

The momentum carried into the third quarter as well as Sahar knocked down two triples to push the lead beyond 20 points and Yonatan Keller delivered a terrific assist to Ariel Sela as Israel took full control while Gold then connected from beyond the arc to make it 70–46 heading into the final period. Aviv Henkin also joined the 3-point barrage and Gold’s signature mid-range jumper gave Israel its largest lead of the game at 75–48. The Czechs managed to trim the deficit late, but it was far too little, too late, as Israel completed an impressive 87–73 victory. Sahar scored 16 points, Belaga added 14 points and Gold put in 13 points in the win.