Although returning from the break without two of the best foreigners in the league, Gilboa / Galil upgraded and took fifth place with a good chance to advance to the Final Four at the expense of the weak Hapoel Holon • Also: Hapoel Tel Aviv continues to confuse and what is the chance we will reach the finish line

• Lior Lubin. Will be in the big four?

  Photo: 

  Maor Alexelsi

Gilboa / Galil had 19 wins from 21 games (43 percent) in the first episode of the season. 7 out of 8 (87.5 percent) in Chapter II. The result: fifth place and a good chance to surpass the weak Hapoel Holon in the Final Four. It all happened even though after the Corona break she played without two of the best foreigners in the league (Jammer Galli and Justin Tillman) leaving, and with the exception of one game the foreign position was not full due to injuries.

How did she upgrade from a nice team to a good one? First of all, defense - from 93 mandatory points until the break to 79 in the lower house. Alongside this, the broad Israeli base performed excellently (Benya Srur stood out), Yiftach Ziv kept his promise and Michael Young took command.

They were all won by Lior Lubin, who took a significant step towards the title of coach of the season. He was also there the last time the team reached the Final Four in 2011, and this season made a comeback and could close the circle at the "home club".

Madar opposite Ashdod. Red and confusing // Photo: Bernie Ardov 

2 Hapoel Tel Aviv of Chapter 2 is very confusing at the professional level. It defeated Maccabi Haifa and Urbani Ness Ziona by a cumulative difference of 50 points, but also lost to the relegated Maccabi Ashdod, which scored 97 points (before overtime), after two games in which the Reds They averaged just 66. They also scored no more than 4 threes in two games, but in two other games they scored beyond the arc in a double-digit number.

There are also question marks on the mental side, after coming out of two pits in front of Hapoel Eilat and Nahariya, but also three losses in the last shot. This instability is exactly the difference between a good chance of a place in the Final Four and a derby in the playoff quarterfinals.

Chapter 3 of the season is called the Corona League, but before the professional assessments, the big question is whether the league will come to an end or be decided by the rising morbidity.