Hapoel Tel Aviv won Hapoel

One of the most intriguing matchups in the league, especially after the busy summer both teams had, took place tonight (Sunday) in the second round, with Hapoel Tel Aviv defeating Hapoel 85-72 at Pais Arena. The game started at a fast pace from both teams but slowed down later as the Reds from the capital led for most of the game. A 14-0 run by the visitors in the fourth quarter, primarily due to three consecutive three-pointers, opened a gap that Yotam Alon's team struggled to close.

Game Summary:
Hapoel Starting Five: Speedy Smith, Jared Harper, Yovel Zoosman, Gabi Chachashvili, Austin Wiley.  
Hapoel Tel Aviv Starting Five: Patrick Beverley, Bar Timor, Marcus Foster, Ish Wainright, Jonathan Motley.

Justin Smith opened the game with a three-pointer that got the crowd on their feet, followed by another one on the next possession. Beverley hit his first three-pointer in the Winner League and assisted Motley for a basket and a foul, tying the game at 6-6. Wiley scored after an offensive rebound, but Foster put the visitors ahead with a three-pointer. Tsachashvili blocked Motley under the basket, and Wiley tied the game with a free throw. Beverley continued his strong start with a successful drive, while Foster easily dunked in transition. Tsachashvili finished a nice drive with his left hand, but Beverley converted a basket-and-one against Cornelius to make it 16-11. Dovrat (twice) and Harper hit free throws to equalize. Justin Smith scored in the paint to return the lead to the hosts, and two accurate free throws capped a 9-0 run with Tomer Ginat scoring in the paint. Cornelius didn’t flinch under the shot clock pressure and found Johnson for a layup, while Justin Smith blocked Noam Yaakov and excited the crowd again. Harper continued to reach the line, lifting the Reds to an 18-24 lead, before Timor assisted Bruno Caboclo for his first alley-oop in Israel, and Justin Smith closed the quarter at 20-28 for Hapoel.

Zoosman against Beverley
 

Zoosman scored to give Hapoel a double-digit lead, while Timor responded with a free throw. Speedy stole the ball under the visitors' basket and quickly added two more points. The fast pace slowed as both teams struggled to score, until Wiley dunked after a missed shot by Zoosman. Motley came off the bench and broke a five-minute scoring drought for his team with a mid-range jumper, followed by Beverley hitting a wide-open three, prompting Yotam Alon to call a timeout. Harper scored a field goal after a quiet stretch but then committed his second foul and turned the ball over. The scattered minutes continued with mutual turnovers, and Stepanos Dedas received a technical foul. A three-pointer from Oz Blayzer sparked the visitors, and Tsachashvili found Justin Smith with a great assist. Wainright added his first three-pointer of the game, and Motley hit two free throws to set the halftime score at 39-34 for the hosts.

Justin Smith

The start of the second half mirrored the previous quarter, as both teams struggled to score field goals. Beverley hit free throws, while Wiley responded with points off an offensive rebound, but Motley scored beautifully in the paint. Harper made a mid-range jumper, and after a timeout, Motley added two more points from a Wainright assist. The home guard scored again with a fast drive to the basket, while Ginat finished strongly in the paint against Tsachashvili. Cornelius hit a three-pointer with the shot clock winding down, but the visitors kept feeding Motley, who added four straight points and another from the line. On the next possession, Beverley stole from Dovrat and sent Foster to the line, giving the visitors their first lead since the first quarter at 49-48. The Reds' guard responded with an important three-pointer from the corner, but defensively, no one could stop Motley, who tied the game with a mid-range shot and then found Ginat for another basket and foul. Tsachashvili completed a nice play in the paint, but Wainright quickly answered with a three. Beverley and Motley hit four free throws, while Harper made two to narrow the gap as the third quarter ended 60-55 for Hapoel Tel Aviv.

Dovrat against Ginat
 

Dovrat opened the final quarter with a tough move with his back to the basket, but Foster responded aggressively. Wainright then added another three-pointer from the same corner, giving the visitors an eight-point lead. Speedy hit a rare three for the hosts, and on the other side, Wainright found Ginat, who made a remarkable cut without the ball. Harper drove to the basket for two, followed by another three from Smith that brought the score to 67-65, prompting Dedas to call a timeout. The visitors returned with consecutive three-pointers from Caboclo and Wainright, extending their lead back to eight. Hapoel missed several good shots, including after an offensive rebound, and Foster capitalized with a four-point play, completing a 10-0 run. The guard continued his best game since joining with another successful drive, while Caboclo added points from an offensive rebound. Harper hit two free throws to end the visitors' run at 14-0, but Motley quickly scored two more. Justin Smith connected on a corner three, Foster again drove to the basket for two, and Wiley capped the game with free throws, ending it 85-72 for Hapoel Tel Aviv at Pais Arena.

Scoring Summary
Hapoel: Harper 19 (4/14 FG, 11/12 FT), Speedy Smith 14, Wiley 11 (11 rebounds), Justin Smith 9, Dovrat 8, Chachashvili 4, Cornelius 3, Johnson and Zoosman 2 each.  
Hapoel Tel Aviv: Motley 22 (8/11 FG), Foster 18 (5 assists), Beverley 13 (5 assists, 3 steals), Wainright 12 (4/6 3PT), Ginat 9, Caboclo 7, Blayzer 3, Timor 1. Also played: Yaakov, Palatin, Rabinovich.