Maccabi Tel Aviv defeated Hapoel Jerusalem 95-84 as Roman Sorkin put in a magnificent performance to take the Israeli Classico win. The reds jumped out to a quick 16-3 lead as Khadeen Carrington couldn’t miss, but Jimmy Clark along with Roman Sorkin helped the yellow-and-blue head into halftime with a 49-43 advantage.

Marcio Santos and Sorkin poured in points in the third quarter to give the yellow-and-blue a double-digit lead but Carrington, Harper and Winston pulled to within 5-points but Sorkin and Brissett scored to close out the game as Maccabi took home the win. Sorkin scored 21 points while both Santos and Clark added 15 points in the victory while Carrington scored 21 points, Wiley put in 18 points and Harper scored 17 points in the loss.

“This was a very important win for us as is the way we won,” Maccabi Tel Aviv Head Coach Oded Katash began. “This is especially with how the game started. They had some very good percentages early and we missed some shots, but slowly and surely we came back into the game against a very good team and one that is at the level of the Euroleague. I was convened about the game and that we wouldn’t have the right energy but we were home and we ended up taking control of the game.”

“We played some good minutes, but Maccabi controlled the game and they deserve credit for that,” Jerusalem Head Coach Yonatan Alon began. “As a coach I have to always find solutions to the game, in sports you see that sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. We really believe in ourselves and it’s up to us and just as we can beat a team, we can lose as well. This is ours and I believe in the guys.”

Oshae Brissett spoke about the win, “These types of games you have to come and play the right way and to bring the energy. I’ll do whatever coach wants me to do and I’ll do all the things that can help us win both defensively and offensively. Everyone’s turn can come on any given day, we are still figuring it out as a team and we can’t be complacent. Teams are scouting us better and every team is going to give their best punch as we have to give our best punch back and we can turn it around.”

Khadeen Carrington looked back at the loss, “We started off well but from there it went downhill, when you play against a good team like Maccabi you can’t take your foot off the pedal. We got relaxed but I don’t know why. They turned up a gear and we didn’t, it was a matter of hustling and we had to realize that and nip it in the bud. It’s got to be a mindset thing and from the guys who lead the team, like Yovel Zoosman and Jared Harper, we put that on us, we know how to play against good teams and we view ourselves as a good team as well.”

Carrington led off with a 3-pointer, Austin Wiley scored inside, Jared Harper hit a midrange jumper and went from deep while Nimrod Levi also dialled up long distance to give Hapoel Jerusalem a 16-3 lead early on. Roman Sorkin, Jimmy Clark, Iffe Lundberg and Marcio Santos answered for Maccabi Tel Aviv, while Tamir Blatt and Carrington traded triples to end the first quarter all knotted up at 26-26.

Carrington with the hot hand went from the outside and inside to begin the second quarter, Yovel Zoosman and Clark traded triples, Sorkin scored in the paint, Lundberg put in a 3-point play off a layup on the baseline, Sorkin put down a monster slam and Leaf added a pair of baskets to help Maccabi to a 49-43 advantage at halftime.

Hoard dunked and Sorkin went from downtown to get the third quarter underway, Wiley and Santos traded baskets, Sorkin went from deep yet again, Carrington hit a long deuce, Santos went from the inside and outside, Blatt and John Dibartolomeo went from beyond the arc as Oded Katash’s squad took a 75-60 lead after thirty minutes of action.

Carrington took matters into his own hands and started to fill the basket as the fourth quarter started, Hoard scored off the backboard, Harper and Winston came back with points, Sorkin put in a bucket, Clark went from deep, Oshae Brissett and Wiley traded baskets in the paint as Maccabi stayed in front 84-76 midway through the frame.

Winston went from downtown, Sorkin came back with a 3-point play and added a deuce, Brissett put down a monster dunk and Lundberg went from deep to wrap up the victory.