Hapoel Holon clipped Maccabi Tel Aviv 82-76 who played with a short rotation due to their Euroleague quarterfinal series game five at Panathinaikos slated for Tuesday. The yellow-and-blue kept their primary continental players on the bench for the matchup as they didn’t want to risk injury and keep them fresh for the decisive clash in Athens. The loss broke up an Israeli league streak of 18 wins in a row for Oded Katash’s squad while the purples picked up a much needed victory after a string of poor performances.

Niv Misgav – Photo Credit: Yehuda Halickman
Amit Sherf’s squad controlled the pace of play throughout the game as Tahjere McCall and Justin Smith helped Holon to a 44-40 lead at halftime. Joe Thomasson and Antonius Cleveland kept the game close over the course of the second half but McCall and Smith each scored clutch baskets down the stretch to give the hosts the victory.

Tahjere McCall – Photo Credit: Yehuda Halickman
McCall scored 23 points, Smith added 17 points and Niv Misgav chipped in with 14 points in the win. Thomasson dropped 10 points, Cleveland scored 17 points and John Dibartolomeo scored 12 points in the loss.

Amit Sherf – Photo Credit: Yehuda Halickman
“Maccabi played with a very different roster than we would normally see,” Holon head coach Amit Sherf explained. “We ended up coming out on top of this game and this was an important win and we want to get home court advantage so this was a huge win for us after the Eilat loss. We hit some good shots and we will do what we can as we ready for Hapoel Tel Aviv.”

Oded Kattash – Photo Credit: Yehuda Halickman
“We decided to give a number of players the chance to rest and they needed it,” Maccabi head coach Oded Katash said. “Plus Roman Sorkin’s illness was also an issue as well. The guys who played did a good job and we did the best that we could do. This was our 73rd game this season in what is a crazy schedule as we now prepare for Panathinaikos.”

Niv MIsgav – Photo Credit: Yehuda Halickman
Niv Misgav spoke about his squad’s victory, “We know that Maccabi have a huge game coming up in the Euroleague but we also needed this win and they also have a very deep bench. Everyone on Maccabi put in a big effort and we knew what to expect. We are looking forward to continuing on this season and doing the best that we can.”

Antonius Cleveland – Photo Credit: Yehuda Halickman
Antonius Cleveland reflected on the game that was, “Once the ball is tipped off you’re not thinking about anything else but the game and it was normal. We all wanted to come out with the victory. It’s a long season and I had people in my corner saying that I needed to stay patient and being confident in myself. It’s fun coming to work with these guys and it makes life easier when you have guys with smiles on their faces.”

James Webb – Photo Credit: Yehuda Halickman
James Webb for Maccabi Tel Aviv and Niv Misgav from Hapoel Holon traded triples to begin the game, Antonius Cleveland scored off the glass and Webb dunked, Justin Smith came back with a jam of his own and Misgav went from deep to give the purples a slim 8-7 lead midway through the period. Tahjere McCall and Netanel Artzi scored, Joe Thomasson went for a pair from deep, Yotam Hanochi scored in the paint to give the hosts a 20-19 lead after ten minutes of play.

Tahjere McCall – Photo Credit: Yehuda Halickman
Rafi Menco drilled home a pair from deep to get the second quarter underway, John Dibartolomeo scored a deuce, McCall went from downtown, CJ Harris hit a jumper, Thomasson came out of timeout with a 3-pointer and deuce off the glass to give the yellow-and-blue a 34-27 lead with five minutes left in the half. Smith and McCall each picked up a pair of points, Kevin Hervey went from the outside and inside, Shawn Dawson scored, as did Hervey to give Amit Sherf’s squad a 44-40 advantage at halftime.

Joe Thomasson – Photo Credit: Yehuda Halickman
Dibartolomeo and Misgav traded triples to open up the third quarter, McCall and Smith scored inside, Cleveland dunked, Hervey went from deep as Jake Cohen did the same, Webb dunked and Thomasson scored to pull Oded Katash’s team to within a pair of points 54-52 midway through the period. Cohen and Dibartolomeo dialled up long distance but Misgav went from deep to keep Holon in front 61-58 after thirty minutes of action.

Justin Smith – Photo Credit: Yehuda Halickman
McCall scored from downtown to begin the fourth quarter, Cleveland dunked, Smith put in a 3-point play, Menco nailed a corner 3-ball as did McCall at the other end and then he followed up with a deuce to put Holon up 74-65 with five minutes remaining in regulation time. Cleveland drilled home a triple, Cohen and McCall traded buckets, Cleveland scored a pair inside, Smith scored a pair to wrap up the victory.
0 Comments