The Reds defeated Drucker's team 78:87 • Rishon LeZion defeated the aggressive BS 85:96 • Eilat left the victory at home after 90:93 over Ness Ziona • And Maccabi Haifa suffered a second loss, 86:80 to Nahariya • The Balkans continue to provide Tight and tense games
Hapoel Tel Aviv is celebrating at the expense of Bnei Herzliya, tonight
Photography:
Alan Shiver
Two weeks before the impending start of the 2020/21 season in the Premier League, the teams continue to remove rust in the Balkan League.
Yesterday, in the second round, we got some close games that raise a lot of anticipation towards the real thing.
Bnei Herzliya - Hapoel Tel Aviv 87:78.
The trauma of the defeat in the Champions League qualifiers has been on the minds of Hapoel Tel Aviv in recent weeks and its players just wanted to get on the floor and forget a little about the bad impression they left in their last game.
The Reds started more determined, completely disrupted Herzliya's offensive game and led safely for three quarters.
The host got back into the game a lot thanks to insane percentages from the penalty line (31 of 35), but in the end the victory rightly remained on the red side.
The outstanding player of the preparation period is Bar Timor who once again led his team with a determined and confident game and finished as the leading scorer with 16 points.
Daniel Kuperberg who started in the top five was also excellent with 13 points and 5 rebounds.
Clark with Kadir. Loss against the Reds // Photo: Alan Schieber
Hapoel Eilat - Urbani Ness Ziona 90:93.
The locals, in their first game in the second house, achieved a dramatic victory and left the visitors without a victory of the season (loss in the Winner's Cup and two in the Balkans).
The game was tight right up until the last second, and its story is Ben Carter, the son of former legendary Michael Carter (Hapoel Holon).
He scored 24 points, including 5 threes from 6 attempts.
Maccabi Haifa - Urbani Nahariya 86:80.
The guest achieved a great victory after almost a month in which she did not play basketball.
For three quarters the advantage shifted from side to side, until Nahariya took matters into their own hands in the last two minutes.
Haifa, who recorded their second loss in the Balkans, had no answer to the wonderful Kaylin Lucas (21 points).
Nahariya also knows how to celebrate // Photo: Maor Elkelsi
Hapoel BS - Maccabi Rishon LeZion 96:85.
She may still be missing a fourth foreigner, but it seems Guy Goodes' side are ready for the Premier League perhaps more than any other team.
The runner-up continued in good shape from the game against Hapoel Jerusalem and defeated an aggressive team convincingly.
Achilles Mitchell excelled under the baskets with 25 points, and Isaiah Taylor demonstrated some more of his talent in the back line (25 points, 8 of 12 from the field).
For the loser, senior coordinator Amir Bell came out with 5 fouls after not scoring a point in 22 minutes.
A good game by Caleb Agada (26 points) was not enough.
Maccabi Rishon LeZion celebrates in Be'er Sheva // Photo: Liron Moldovan
