Hapoel edges Maccabi in thrilling Tel Aviv derby

Motley leads with 20 points as Hapoel remains perfect in Israeli League after 85-80 comeback win

On Monday night, two weeks after falling to Maccabi in the EuroLeague, Dimitris Itoudis and Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv squad got their revenge. Roared on by a passionate crowd, Hapoel outlasted Maccabi 85-80 in a gripping Israeli League contest, preserving their undefeated domestic record.

Johnathan Motley starred with 20 points, Antonio Blakeney netted 19 on 5-of-10 three-point shooting and Elijah Bryant added 16 points and Tyler Ennis had 15 for the winners. Roman Sorkin paced Maccabi with 26 points, Tamir Blatt contributed 14 points and 7 assists and Marcio Santos tallied 10 points in defeat.

The atmosphere was electric from tipoff. Maccabi seemed poised for another win after taking a narrow 2-point lead early and then surging to a promising 41-49 halftime advantage thanks to lockdown defense and sharp shooting from Sorkin and Blatt. But halftime brought a dramatic shift. Hapoel returned re-energized, even as Maccabi pushed its lead into double digits midway through the third. Motley and Bryant sparked a comeback, chipping away at the deficit until only a single point separated the sides entering the final quarter, 61-62.

Then, Blakeney seized the spotlight. Despite earlier shooting struggles, the guard nailed 3 crucial three-pointers in the fourth, scoring 11 of his points when it mattered most. With help from Motley and Bryant, Hapoel erased Maccabi’s last lead in the dying minutes. As Blakeney’s back-to-back threes shifted momentum and Motley’s late dunk sealed the deal, the arena erupted in celebration.