Things are not going that well in the Euroleague, but that’s definitely not the case in the Israeli league. There’s no sweeter victory in the local league than in the big derby and that’s what Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv got by winning 87 – 73 over Hapoel Tel Aviv and proving that even in tough times, Tel Aviv will remain all yellow.
After holding on to the first spot in the standings earlier in the week at Holon, Maccabi controlled the match up with the city rivals and Maccabi’s ex-head coach, Rami Hadar. The 1st quarter was close, but Maccabi began to pull away in the 2nd, ending it with a 45 – 36 lead, after which the yellows looked looser and more confident.
Victor Rudd and Sylvan Landesberg led the way in scoring with 19 & 18 respectively, but it would be a mistake to attribute the win to a single player. Why? Because Colton Iverson battled under both baskets finishing with a 19-point ranking, Guy Pnini and Gal Mekel were again dominant in creating momentum, DJ Seeley got back to the rotation, being his usual, reliable self with 14 points.
Hopefully this could be the start of a good run for the team. Yalla Maccabi!