Brisker forced overtime with a big three, but Hapoel defeated Maccabi 91: 100 in the first derby of the city in the Premier League since April 2000
Hapoel Haifa players.
The city is red
Photography:
Oded Karni
After 20 years, the Haifa derby returned tonight (Sunday) to the Premier League and Hapoel came out on top after a big 91: 100 over Maccabi.
In the pre-Corona era Romema Hall was noisy, bustling and mostly full of 5,000 enthusiastic spectators, but in these times we are content with the possibility of playing basketball, and not complaining about what is not.
The stands may have lacked atmosphere, so on the parquet the derby met all expectations with a fickle game full of impressive personal moves and a great drama that lasted 40 + 5 minutes.
In fact, Hapoel, which returned to the first league this year after many years, came into the game as a favorite, mainly because of the great weakness on the green side of the city.
Maccabi came to the game with only three foreigners, one of them - Taylor Baron - landed in Israel less than 48 hours before the game, with only one victory and a bag of professional and social problems, including Devon Jefferson who as published on the "Israel Today" website, decided not to return From the US and will not continue in the group.
Then came two famous clichés - "his own rules derby" and "no vacuum in sports".
With six players in the rotation the Greens stayed close in front of a team trained and organized by them mainly thanks to the fighting spirit and self-respect they showed for the first time this season.
Young Roman Sorkin and Michael Brisker took advantage of the opportunity they were given with a great game, including an offensive rebound from Sorkin to Brisker who scored a big three and sent the game into overtime.
In extra time, the air was over for Maccabi, which surrendered, and the Reds celebrated their first victory in a derby in the Premier League since April 2000, much thanks to the winner Jason Seagers who scored big baskets in the important minutes and dragged his team to the prestigious victory over the city rival.
