Hapoel Jerusalem and Maccabi Tel Aviv will tipoff for Israel State Cup glory on Thursday (9pm Israel time) at the Jerusalem Arena as the Reds will look to win their third cup in a row while the Yellow & Blue will try and break their capture the trophy that has alluded them since 2021.

Ahead of the big game which Maccabi star Jaylen Hoard won’t take part in due to injury, the two coaches and captains spoke about the challenges that each team is facing in this matchup after two exhilarating semifinals earlier in the week when Jerusalem just got by Bnei Herzliya and Maccabi slipped past Hapoel Tel Aviv.

“There were two exciting nights, two close games at a high level that could have ended either way,” Maccabi Head Coach Oded Katash said. “We welcome the privilege of being here, it’s not something that should be taken for granted. it is not a given. We didn’t have a great game here against Jerusalem back in December and we need to prove ourselves, we need to come in focused and with the right energy I hope we have some left after the semifinal. It’s one game and there will be a good atmosphere. It’s great privilege to be here, we need to play to win and not be afraid to lose.”

Hapoel Jerusalem bench boss Yonatan Alon said, “I’m sure that we will have a hard time, but that is how it is, these are how these types of games are and it’s not the first time that we will play a difficult contest. It’s a new game and we want to get the most out of it. What happens in this game has nothing to do with what happened in previous years. I have to say that Oded Katash who coached the team a number of years ago has a part in our success. Maybe we don’t pay him, but he has a part in it.”

Katash in turn spoke about his former assistant Yonatan Alon, “I’m very proud, it is difficult for me to take credit for his success, I really love him and I am proud of what he has been doing, I’m happy for him and I am following his progress. Jerusalem is having great this year and it shouldn’t be taken for granted whatsoever. They are playing impressive basketball and they have the ability to make it very difficult for the opposition so this will be a great challenge. I have had difficulty against Yonatan historically so I also have something to prove.”

One of the most important aspects that Maccabi will need to focus on is how to stop one Jared Harper who has ben carving up the EuroCup competition week in and week out.

“The entire European landscape has bee trying to figure out how to stop Harper. Jerusalem has built up something and Yonatan and his squad are also doing a good job of maximizing his abilities and stopping him completely isn’t something that’s possible. There is a system that is built around him and we are trying to find some solutions and do have some strategies in order to stop him but obviously it will need to be a complete team effort.”

Yonatan Alon will need to make sure that his team’s calling card will be at its best when it faces Maccabi Tel Aviv’s potent offense, “Our identity is defense and we try to bring that aspect to every game. Against Herzliya we weren’t as successful as we would have liked to have been but here we have to be very good as to who we are. I don’t think any of us see ourselves as favorites. We are coming in to play basketball, we want to do the most that we can and we think we’re good at what we do and we want to show just that.”

Katash also didn’t want to view his team as the favorite, “It’s impossible to determine that this is the case when we lost to both Herzliya and Jerusalem in the league. It’s very difficult to predict where the game will go and this final is very open for both teams to come and grab it. That is what is very exciting about this game.”

As for the Maccabi Captain John Dibartolomeo, he talked about what the keys to victory, “We’re focusing on ourselves. We want to come prepared, come in with the right attitude. There will be ups and downs and there will be a great atmosphere. Our team has to stay together, no matter what happens. We lost to them in both the Arena and in Yad Eliyahu in the finals the past two seasons but I believe that we can win in here in Jerusalem even though it’s a tough gym. Jerusalem is a very good team that has had a good season in all of the competitions. It’s a cup game, 40 minutes that can go either way. We have to be ready.”

Jerusalem captain Yovel Zoosman also shared his thoughts about what lies ahead of the team “We are very ready for the final, there is good positive energy here and we know that we are one game away from the title. We don’t look at was has been in the past and at history and want to win and be successful after having put in the most optimal preparation possible for the game.”

As for having the role of captain, the swingman explained, “It is great fun to be the captain of Hapoel Jerusalem, I am happy about the season I, along with the team are going through. Playing against those who were once teammates is great and we went through a lot of experiences. I played with John Dibartolomeo for four years together and also with Jake Cohen, so it’s fun to see them on the other side and it is fun to play with them.”

Should Jerusalem win, Zoosman as captain would have the responsibility of lifting the Israel State Cup, but that isn’t something he even wants to think about, “We are very competitive and we will take this challenge. This is a game where anything can happen and you have to come as focused as possible. I am not thinking about lifting a trophy as captain and if that happens we will see how I react, I am not too busy with that, I am busy winning the game and we will then move forward.”