Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv will compete on Saturday night against Hapoel Holon as part of the Winner Cup Final (21:00, Shlomo Group Arena, Live on Sport5 - Channel 55). The preseason tournament, which is usually played before the start of the season, was delayed due to the Coronavirus, as on Saturday, it will finally reach its definitive moment.

Maccabi is the all-time Cup holder winning the tournament seven times as the last one came in the 2017/18 season. "We are competing on the Winner Cup against a team we faced a couple of weeks ago", Said the Yellow & Blue head coach Giannis Sfairopoulos before the matchup. "They know us, and we know them. We have to stay focused and play our gameplan".



"The game against Maccabi is a big challenge for our club because we have a chance to win a title for Hapoel Holon", Related Stefanos Dedas towards the contest. "We are in great form, physically and mentally. We will compete for our fans, who we miss very much".

Hapoel Holon has never conquered the preseason trophy. The purples enter the contest with high aspirations after reaching the finals beating Hapoel Gilboa/Galil and Hapoel Jerusalem. Holon's squad contains familiar faces who wore the Maccabi jersey in the past: Guy Pnini, Yogev Ohayon (injured) and Frederic Bourdillon. 

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Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv captured its 8th Winner Cup and its first preseason title in three years, defeating Hapoel Holon 86:84 in Shlomo Group Arena. The Yellow & Blue achieved its first title of the 2020/21 season after returning from a 13 point margin midway through the second quarter, playing more aggressively in the second half. Omri Casspi was one of the leaders to the comeback, which led the captain John DiBartolomeo and Omri Casspi to lift the cup.

Scottie Wilbekin, Elijah Bryant, Oz Blayzer, Angelo Caloiaro, and Dragan Bender started for the Yellow & Blue side. C.J. Harris, Tyrus Mcgee, Willy Workman, Isaiah Miles, and Maxine De Zeeuw opened for the purples.

Caloiaro went twice to the post, scoring over Holon defenders as the Purples tried to play full press defense, but Maccabi broke it, which led Blayzer to lift an alley-oop pass to Bender, who slammed it down with one hand, 6:4. Mcgee scored 11 consecutive points (3 three-pointers), giving Holon a six-point edge. 



The Purples stopped Maccabi scoreless for 3 minutes as De Zeeuw added another triple and scored inside as part of a 10:0 stretch, 11:24. Blayzer knocked down a triple and was fouled on the play for a 4 point possession, and Yovel Zoosman added three more, reducing the margin to 8, 18:26. 

Fredric Bourdilion started the second quarter with a shot from deep, but then Sandy Cohen rejected Workman in the paint, and Omri Casspi, who scored five points and dished an assist to Ante Zizic inside, led the Yellow & Blue offense to 9 unanswered points, 27:31. De Zeeuw continued the strong night from deep, hitting back to back triples as Caloiaro and Wilbekin responded from the other end, 35:40.

Guy Pnini joined the scorer's list after converting a four-point play, Bryant worked his way in the paint for two, but Bourdilion hit Holon's 10th triple of the half, 39:47. Zizic and Miles each shot on of two from the free-throw line closing out the first half at 40:48.



Blayzer dropped a three-pointer to open the second half, Workman scored a tough layup, and Caloiaro added two inside, recording double-digit points, 45:52. Mcgee and Wilbekin each hit a shot from deep as Harris slammed down a bucket inside, keeping Holon in front by 7. 

Wilbekin found Casspi, who drilled a corner triple, and next possession, the guard, dished an assist to Bender, who scored inside, reducing the margin down 2, 57:59. Workman stopped the stretch with a dunk, but Casspi, who hit his third triple of the quarter and played excellent minutes, led the Yellow & Blue to a 10:2 run, regaining the edge heading into the final quarter, 67:63.



Sandy Cohen dished a pass to Zizic, who slammed it down, but the Purples regained the lead after Harris knocked down a shot from deep and Bourdilion shot in a tough jumper, 69:71. Bryant tied it at 71, and Wilbekin, with two offensive possessions, retrieved the edge after a beautiful assist to Bender, who laid it in, 75:73. 

The Yellow & Blue retained the advantage in the final minutes as Zoosman drove to the bucket and found Bender open under the basket, laying in two crucial points. Bryant knocked down four consecutive free throws ensuring Maccabi its 8th preseason title after an 86:84 victory over Hapoel Holon.

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