The frustrating campaign of the Israeli national team in the World Championship qualifiers continues.
The blue-whites suffered their eighth loss of the campaign today (Friday), 97:95 to Finland at the Drive In, in a game that, although it was only for the record, contained an opportunity for a prestigious victory.
Israel led by 15 points and controlled the game in most of its phases, benefiting from a wonderful game by Bar Timur with 27 points and an impressive debut of Noam Yaakov in the senior team with 12 points, but lost concentration at critical moments, and remained in the penultimate place in the qualifiers.
On Monday, the national team will be hosted in Slovenia for the closing game of the campaign, after having long since lost a chance to advance to the championship.
She will hope to end the game on a good note, after a string of disappointing games.
Knowing that the current window is of no practical importance, Nadav Zilberstein called up a relatively young squad, and gave opportunities to some inexperienced players.
Noam Yaakov made his debut in the senior team and Itai Moshkovitz also wore the blue-white uniform for the first time, and especially the former showed sparks.
In the end, it was the three Hapoel Tel Aviv players who felt at home at the Drive In, and carried the team on their shoulders.
Besides Bar Timur who continued his wonderful form from the league, Tomer Ginat (16 points) and Idan Zalmanson (10 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists) also stood out, but the Israeli defense looked vulnerable against the excellent three-point shooters of the guest, and Finland finished with 16 three-pointers in 47 three-pointers - a decisive parameter in the end.
Israel scored:
Bar Timor 27 (10 of 15 from the field, 6 of 10 from three-pointers, 6 assists), Tomer Ginat 16, Noam Yaakov 12 (19 minutes, 5 fouls), Itay Segev 11, Idan Zalmanson 10 (11 rebounds, 6 assists), Oz Blazer 5, Nimrod Levy (7 rebounds, 4 assists) and Roy Huber (5 rebounds, 3 assists) 4 each, Itai Moskovitz 2, Gabi Chachashvili 1 (5 minutes).
A wonderful game did not help.
Bar Timur (Photo: Danny Maron)
the progress of the game
Israel flew to a quick 3:8, with 6 points from Tomer Ginat.
A Finnish timeout didn't stop the run either, and the lead increased to 5:14 after three minutes.
In the following minutes, Bar Timor took command and continued the excellent minutes of the Israeli team, which took its first double-digit lead five minutes into the quarter.
Noam Yaacov and Iti Moshkovitz made their senior team debuts, and three penalty shots by the former determined the result of the first quarter -
13:28
for Israel.
In the first minutes of the second quarter, the Israeli momentum stopped a little.
Alex Murphy scored twice under the basket and two consecutive 3-pointers by the Finns reduced the score to 23:32 for Israel, until Nadav Zilberstein took a timeout.
The Finns offset the difference to only 6, but Bar Timor came back and with a sequence of good moves restored the advantage to double digits.
Noam Yaakov came off the bench well again with a nice assist and a three-pointer, and going into the break Israel led
35:46
.
Debut with a taste of more.
Noam Yaakov (Photo: Danny Maron)
Ginat, Timor and Iti Segev continued to be the most prominent in the team's ranks at the beginning of the third quarter, and kept Israel with a double-digit lead.
On the other hand, Sasso Salin reset the handle and the Finns didn't give up either, shrinking to 55:63 for Israel three minutes to the end of the quarter.
Idan Zalmanson kept Israel within a safe range, and a three-pointer with the board of Nathaniel Artzi that went up in the first minutes, set the result of the third quarter at
60:70
for Israel.
The last quarter went close, with Finland getting back into the game.
The Finns repeatedly shot from outside the arc and took advantage of the height advantage in the paint, while Ber Timor tried to keep the team in the lead.
His big three-pointer a minute and a half to the end broke the tie and gave the team a 3-point lead, and Israel seemed on the way to victory, but an unsportsmanlike foul by Nathaniel Artzi 2.3 seconds to the end gave Finland a chance to win.
Fortunately for Israel, Valtonen hit only once from the line, and in the remaining seconds Finland was unable to score.
83:83
At the end of the legal time, which sends the teams to overtime.
Israel opened the extra time well, with Bar Timur and Noam Ya'akov taking the lead to 5. But starting from that moment, Finland took control of things, went on a 0:9 run with two more three-pointers, and finally also won the game, after the three-point suicide by the outstanding player of the game Bar Timor did not hurt in the ring
95:97
for Finland at the end.
only almost.
Blazer and Sev (photo: Danny Maron)
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