"We have a task in the final - just one thing in front of our eyes" | Israel today

Maccabi Tel Aviv are happy with the 85:87 over Hapoel Holon and want to return the title • Compliments to Blazer: "He has the heart for big games" • Klein is expected to play first • Pnini: "Shock"

• Blazer in a frenzy, last night at Drive In

  Photo: 

  Alan Shiver

1. Great joy and a lot of pressure released, these are the feelings at Maccabi Tel Aviv this morning (Friday) after the dramatic 85:87 victory over Hapoel Holon and the promotion to the State Cup final after an absence of two years.

"Players change, the years go by, but the mentality and character of a club do not change," the team said of returning from a 17-point deficit when everything seemed lost.

"We fought heroically," said Yannis Sapropoulos, "nothing went for three quarters, but we did not give up and gave a supreme effort that brought us back into the game."

The most compliments went to Oz Blazer who provided a tremendous game and was the main factor in advancing to the finals.

"Oz is a fighter, that's why we brought him here," they said at Maccabi, "he has the quality and the heart for big games."

Blazer himself said: "No matter what the difference we keep trying. Once the baskets went in, we went into a frenzy and everything changed in our favor. Now we have a task in the final, when I get to games like that I see only one thing in front of my eyes."

On his personal status at Maccabi, the forward added: "I don't have to prove anything to anyone. I know what I'm worth and what I can do. I have full faith in myself, the team has faith in me, I don't have to prove anything to anyone."

Meanwhile, TJ Klein, who was registered in the squad, but did not receive minutes, is expected to make his debut on Sunday against the same Hapoel Holon.

2. A great disappointment at Hapoel Holon from the loss and especially from the road that led to the loss.

Coach Stefanos Dadas was very angry at the refereeing team that took out three key players on the team in five offenses and came up with complaints even after the final whistle.

Even as he left the hall, the Greek coach continued to rage and claimed that he and his team had been wronged.

"It's not an easy evening for us, frustrating what happened here. CJ broke Maccabi's pressure and didn't get whistles," Dadas said, "but we can be proud of ourselves. In the minutes we played well they could not do anything in front of us. We will meet them. We will be ready again. "

Guy Pnini, who excelled on the purple side, was exhausted at the end: "I already thought our game, I did not see a force that could take the game from us, we were with incredible energies, everything flowed and flowed, we shot in high percentages. But suddenly out of nowhere we got a shock. To reach the final, which is something amazing for this club "