The two combined for 13 fourth-quarter points in the come-from-behind win
Hapoel duo of Ginat, Madar spark Israel to upset of France
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Israel shook up the standings in Group D of EuroBasket 2025 in Katowice, Poland, by scoring an 82-69 upset win at Spodek Arena on Sunday over France, which moved it into second place with a 2-1 record, the same as its opponent. The winning team was at its best when the Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv duo of Tomer Ginat and Yam Madar were on the floor.
Madar tallied 17 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals, while Ginat amassed 14 points and 6 boards. They were second and third, respectively, on Israel in scoring behind Deni Avdija, who scored 23. However, their impact could be seen from their +/-: Ginat led all players with +17 in 21:46 minutes and Madar was right behind with +16 in 24:22. Third was Roman Sorkin of Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv with +13 in 27:47.
Avdija spoke glowingly of both Ginat and Madar after the game.
"Tomer is a leader. It's really fun to play with him, next to him. I learn a lot from him – how to speak to guys, how to lead the team," Avdija said at the post-game press conference. "Tomer has things that you cannot teach: his touch, to be in the right place at the right time. He's a winner. And even though he didn’t start today – and for many players that would get into their heads – it didn’t affect him negatively. On the contrary, Tomer took it positively. Despite everything that happened yesterday, he gave an amazing game. Huge credit to him."
Earlier, in the mixed zone, he commented on Madar, who has been dealing with a knee injury since last season. "It’s not a surprise at all. I see this guy working, really working hard, doing everything he can. Treatments, training, everything, so that he’ll be at his very best on the court. He was born for these shots, he knows how to make them."
Madar, Ginat, Sorkin and Avdija all had key roles as Israel pulled away in the fourth quarter. Elie Okobo's four-point play at the end of the third quarter gave France a 55-56 lead and the AS Monaco guard opened the fourth with another triple. A minute later, Ginat subbed in and scored for Israel, sparking an 11-0 run that Madar capped with a three-pointer for a 66-59 lead.
When Paris Basketball's Nadir Hifi scored, Ginat answered with a bucket in the paint. Israel kept the pressure on and Sorkin fed Madar for a fastbreak layup that boosted the margin to double figures at 74-63. All told, Israel outscored France 27-13 in the fourth quarter with Madar netted 7 of those points and Ginat 6. Madar added 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal and Ginat also corralled 3 boards in the final stanza.
Both Madar and Ginat had quiet starts as France raced to a 10-20 lead. However, Ginat drilled a three-pointer and Madar cashed in a steal for a layup to get within 17-22 after 10 minutes. The duo contributed more points early in the second quarter as Israel tied the game at 36-36 at the break. Israel kept it close in a topsy-turvy third quarter before pulling away in the fourth.