The first test of the season passed successfully but barely.
Maccabi Tel Aviv left the Innerbox Hall in Hadera last night (Tuesday) with the 75:85 victory over Gilboa/Galil and with it the ticket to the semi-finals of the Winner Cup, in a game in which they knew how to come back from a double-digit deficit and win, when the stubborn opponent was in the game for most of the minutes of the game.
The club was not surprised by the resilience of the opponent and the uncompromising style of play.
"We knew we would meet a team like the one Rami Hadar knows how to build, very tough and aggressive that knows what it's doing. At this stage of the season it was a test for us and we won even though we didn't score well from outside," Maccabi Tel Aviv coach Oded Ketch honestly noted.
The team complimented the performance of veteran forward Guy Panini, who, although he did not score, entered the game at a low moment and helped the team win, which was reflected in the player's plus-minus index, 12+, the second best in the team.
"There aren't many players who don't score and make the team win like he did today, certainly against Gilboa we need this order. We lacked it in the first half", Ketch added.
catch
Looking for an identity, photo: Audi Citiat
The club pointed to the fighting spirit and aggressive play presented by the players as the key to victory, along with the defense in the second half, which was manifested in 20 rebounds in the attack and complete control of the rebounds - with 42 compared to 28 of the northern team.
"The toughness and the fight, that should be our identifying mark this year, we need to play with that energy, we need to forge that kind of identity," said the team. "We had a great defense in the second half that affected our offense after that," added Jake Cohen.
The Yellows were happy to see the appearance and body language of Jarel Martin, who seemed connected and committed, despite several bad games in preparation.
"He showed a varied and good defensive game. He kept tall and guards successfully, blocked shots and took rebounds. He shows us that he can be a significant contribution on both sides of the court," noted Jake Cohen.
The team does not have much time to rest, and already tomorrow they will meet the champion Hapoel Holon for the battle for the second ticket to the Winner Cup final.
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