Hapoel Holon defeated AEK 77-71 in Champions League action to move their record to 3-2 and into first place of Group C with a one game remaining against Cholet on January 20th as they will look to punch their ticket to the Playoff round of the competition. The 6-point win gives Holon the advantage in point differential over AEK as the first game between the clubs ended in a 4-point victory for the Athens based team.

Stafanos Dedas’s squad played brilliant basketball throughout the 40 minutes as Chris Johnson and Tyrus McGee handled the offense while the entire team dealt with the defense. Holon out-rebounded AEK 46-32 including 19 offensive boards and limited the Greek’s attack to a 6/26 night from 3-point land to notch the win.

Chris Johnson recorded a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds, Tyrus McGee led the team with 18 points while Maxim De Zeeuw and Isaiah Miles checked in with 12 points a piece. Keith Langford scored 19 points and Dimitris Moraitis added 10 points points in the loss.

3-Pointers
Gotta give credit where credit is due

Holon played absolutely terrific basketball to record a fantastic victory against an excellent AEK team with a number of veterans as well as also having won the Champions League back 2017/18. The win has to go up there with some of there bigger conquests, but it wasn’t just that they won, but how they won. The squad followed Coach Stefanos Dedas’s game plan to a “T” and were rewarded with the result for doing so. Smart basketball, tough basketball and taking AEK totally out of their usual game of run and gun offense with Keith Langford as the scorer and facilitator was what Holon did to perfection. “Obviously it’s a huge win and gives us a great chance to advance,” explained Willy Workman. “AEK is a great team and we’re very happy with the result.” Tyrus McGee echoed his teammate’s comments, “We stuck with coach’s game plan and it was a great team win for coach. Even though we had mistakes we had to keep playing and that goes with experience, you can’t dwell on the mistakes.” Finally coach Dedas who didn’t have one of his star’s CJ Harris who was out due to injury, shared his thoughts about the win, “I’m proud of my players. We didn’t play our best offensively, but AEK is a good team. We took a ten point lead twice but AEK is one of the best teams in the competition and that’s why I am proud to get the victory.”

Langford Deleted

By taking Langford out of the game, Holon was able to totally disrupt AEK’s game plan. Coach Dedas had his guys double up Langford every time he touched the ball; they were swarming him every second he was on they court. The hosts were able to hold Langford to “only” 19 points with 13 points coming from free throws as the veteran score went 3/9 rom the field with only one assist on the night. Sometimes when you double team a player they will make you pay with the open man hitting the shot, but that wasn’t the case in Holon. “Points wise 19 is fine,” began Langford. “But we weren’t able to capitalize on me being double teamed once the ball was thrown out to other players. We had good looks and missed and we attacked but we weren’t able to get it. We have to give them credit.” McGee also reflected on Langford’s performance, “We knew they would be aggressive with Langford who is an older guy, but he plays like my age not 36!” Workman, who was tasked with covering Langford would have even gone into the bathroom to make sure the sharpshooter wasn’t going to get a clear shot. “Keith in an unbeliever scorer… a guy you can’t stop individually. We followed the game plan and he still managed 20. What can you do?”

Niv Misgav Rises to Occasion

Coach Dedas’s first substitute in the first quarter was a surprise in Niv Misgav who entered the contest for Tyrus McGee who picked up a couple of early fouls. Misgave who has been with the team for just a few days, walked onto the court and did what he does best; play hard. Misgav controlled the point immaculately and it looks like he has supplanted Oded Brandwein who only saw under two minutes of action. In Misgav’s 11:16 he scored 7 points and added 2 rebounds and 2 assists, but was just a pit-bull with the ball on both ends of the floor. With the way he played, impressed his teammates he did, “I just told him be ready and play like yourself,” said McGee. “Play your game and fight. I had heard that he’s a fighter and that’s what he did.” Dedas was also happy with his new point guard’s play, “If you have spacing and the confidence then even Misgav who just joined us is a really good tool. You just need to give them confidence and give them more space.” Last but not, we will give Willy Workman the final word on Misgav, “Niv’s got stones. What else can I say? He comes in, has 2 practices with the team, and his first game action is against one of the best teams in Europe in a crucial game. He didn’t back down. That’s Niv.”

Overtime
Coach Stefanos Dedas had been rumored to be a candidate for the open Panathinaikos job which became available when the team parted ways with coach George Vovoras in his first season. Dedas was honored but has no plans to move back to Athens just yet he said, “I’m under contract with Holon and it’s an honor to be considered for the job but there is nothing I can do at the moment. I am here to make Holon a big team and one time I will have the chance but right now isn’t the right moment.”

The Game That Was
Vladimir Jankovic scored early for AEK but some outside shooting and points off rebounds helped Holon keep pace midway through the first quarter. Dimitris Moraitis and Niv Misgav traded triples while veteran sharpshooter Matt Lojeski went from deep as well but Maxim De Zeeuw put in a layup as time expired to stay within one point, 19-18 in favor of AEK.

Moraitis put in points for AEK but Tyrus McGee and De Zeeuw scored for Holon as the hosts grabbed a 27-23 lead with six minutes left in the second quarter. Chris Johnson scored a pair from beyond the arc, Kingsley Moses put down a dunk for AEK but Stefanos Dedas’s squad took a 38-32 advantage into halftime.

McGee began the third quarter with a layup and De Zeeuw hit a 3-pointer but Moraitis and Keith Langford kept AEK close as Holon stayed in front 45-41 midway through the frame. Miles went from downtown twice bit so did Jonas Maciulis while Nikos Glikas also put in points along with Yanick Moreira to cut the Holon lead to 55-53 after thirty minutes of play.

Moreira tied things up and Langford drained three free throws and a jumper but Miles went from deep and McGee put in a layup as the score was knotted up at 62-62 with 6:33 left in the fourth quarter. McGee drilled a triple but Lojeski came right back out one of his own, however a bucket by McGee and a 3-pointer by De Zeeuw put Holon back in the drivers seat 72-67 with 2:52 remaining in regulation time. Free throws by Guy Pnini and Willy Workman along with a dunk by Johnson as Holon wrapped up the 77-71 win.