Maccabi Tel Aviv defeated Hapoel Holon 107-93 at home in the opening game of the Israeli League semifinal series, taking a 1-0 lead.
Maccabi Tel Aviv were surprised that the organizers did not allow the game to be postponed due to a rocket attack on the country, but despite that, they secured a convincing win.
After the first quarter, the EuroLeague side held a solid +7 advantage, shooting brilliantly from beyond the arc (4/6), and were just as efficient from two-point range (8/11). The second quarter was relatively uneventful (30–30), so Oded Kattash’s team maintained a comfortable lead heading into halftime.
The visitors tried to close the gap in the third quarter, relying heavily on three-point shooting, but it did not pay off (3/10). Iffe Lundberg was in excellent form for Maccabi Tel Aviv, while Darin Green responded on the other side.
Although the hosts controlled most of the game, Hapoel Holon at one point cut the deficit to just one point and came close to turning the game around, but “The Pride of Israel” quickly restored a stronger lead heading into the final 10 minutes.
Midway through the fourth quarter, the visitors got within -6, hinting at a potential late comeback, but Maccabi Tel Aviv did not allow it. At 92–86, the EuroLeague side went on an 8–0 run to effectively seal the victory.
The standout performer for the winners was former Partizan player Lundberg with 21 points and excellent three-point shooting (5/7), as well as Roman Sorkin, while Tamir Blatt recorded a double-double (20 points and 12 assists). For the visitors, Green also finished with 21 points, and the next game is scheduled for June 10 at 19:50.
