The reigning EuroCup MVP scored 21 points and made 16 free throws as Jerusalem improved to 9-2
Harper’s heroics lift Hapoel past Cedevita in EuroCup thriller
Report partita
3 Minuto di lettura
Regular Season
Round 11 of 18
Regular Season
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Cedevita Olimpija LjubljanaCOL
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Hapoel Midtown JerusalemJLM
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Overview
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“I think we made some stupid turnovers at the end and made them close, but we controlled the game for about 35 minutes, then we managed to live with those mistakes, with some responsibility and high-level play,” said Yonatan Alon, moments after his Hapoel Midtown Jerusalem team survived a close battle at Arena Stozice on Tuesday night, running away with the 81-84 Round 11 victory.
Table-topping Hapoel took an early lead, before second-placed Cedevita Olimpia Ljubljana tightened the gap in the second period. However, by the time the teams split for halftime, the visitors led by 11.
The hosts stumbled out of the blocks at the restart, providing Hapoel with an avenue to widen the margin. Alon’s men looked to be in cruise control when Cedevita pushed back in the fourth, coming within a single point with under a minute left on the clock.
Despite the aforementioned errors from the Israeli team, they completed the mission. Jared Harper kept his nerve at the line when it mattered, however, finishing the contest and growing his team’s advantage atop Group A.
Harper played a major role in the win, adding 4 assists to his 21-point scoring performance, while also hitting crucial last-minute shots at the charity stripe to drag his team over the line. Despite a tough night from the field – shooting at a clip of 2-of-11 – the 28-year-old guard sank 16 of his 17 free-throws, shouldering the responsibility without flinching.
Anthony Lamb added 14 points and 4 dimes and Khadeen Carrington contributed 11 points.
Austin Wiley recorded a personal best of 13 rebounds for the road team, controlling the glass throughout. His presence was huge in controlling the pace of the contest. The American big man reflected on his performance after the final buzzer.
“Very happy,” Wiley expressed. “I like how we played on defense. I like that we faced adversity, we played to the end and we won.”
The result was tough on Cedevita’s Aleksej Nikolic, who scored a game-high 27 points. Zvezdan Mitrovic will also feel downtrodden after being ejected from the game during the final period.
With the loss, Mitrovic’s team moved to 7-4 for the season, but will have a chance to bounce back after the break, when it faces Aris Thessaloniki Betsson on December 30. Meanwhile, Hapoel will look to improve on its 9-2 record when it welcomes BAXI Manresa that same evening.
