Rebounding gave Hapoel what needed to defeat group leader
Hapoel Vegan Friendly Tel Aviv earned one of the most convincing wins of this season so far when it defeated Group B leader Gran Canaria 92-70 in front of a packed Shlomo Group Arena on Wednesday night. The hosts didn’t trail for a single second, getting a double-digit margin early in the first period and soaring to a 30-point margin late in the third, sealing the outcome much sooner than many expected.
One of the main reasons explaining Hapoel’s dominance was the rebounding battle. Gran Canaria reached this game as the team that allowed the fewest rebounds (30.8 rpg.) and offensive rebounds (7.4 orpg.) of the competition, but it could do nothing against the hosts’ inside force. Hapoel grabbed 36 defensive rebounds and 10 offensive boards, against Gran Canaria’s 15 and 9. Overall, Hapoel almost doubled its opponent, 46-24, which proved decisive.
It was not only the second-chance points it granted the home team (16), but the opportunity to run the court, play a fast-paced basketball and get easy points. In the end, Hapoel scored 29 transition points against Gran Canaria’s 5, a big difference that strongly contributed to putting the Spaniards’ seven-game winning streak to an end.