Hapoel Jerusalem dominates Maccabi T-A, 93-63

Hapoel Jerusalem used a fourth-quarter explosion to completely destroy the defending Israeli Winner League champions, Maccabi Electra Tel-Aviv by 30 points (93-63). This is loss was the worst-ever endured by Maccabi Tel-Aviv in domestic action. Hapoel Jerusalem keeps its untarnished record for the 2014-15 season intact (5-0) and gain the solo lead in the league standings. This is the first loss for Maccabi T-A and are sitting in second place with a 4-1 record. It may appear that Hapoel Jerusalem has the number of the boys of blue and yellow, considering they also beat them by 28 points in 2013-14. Despite these losses with huge margins, the champions are still centered, knowing that the post-season can tell a different tale and come up with a far different ending.

The game was not a runaway victory, at least not from the beginning. The hosts only had a 21-19 advantage after the first period. They extended their lead slightly, to eight points, by the halftime break (40-32). Both teams were in the heat of the competition and remained competitive for most of the game. Maccabi T-A even outdid Hapoel Jerusalem in the third period and culled the lead to just seven points.

Donta Smith destroys Maccabi Tel-Aviv

In the end, this was about a fourth-quarter collapse by Maccabi Tel-Aviv. Hapoel Jerusalem’s Donta Smith went off in the final period and almost single-handedly took apart the visiting club. He finished the night with a game-high 24 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and two blocks. Smith also sank 3-0f-5 shots from three-point range. As he went on his rampage, it looked like Maccabi Tel-Aviv was at a loss as far as finding an answer. Teammate, Lior Eliyahu came away with a solid double-double to help Smith out, with 13 points and 10 boards. Yotam Halperin added 16 points. Hapoel Jerusalem did an excellent job in passing the rock. They tallied 24 assists for the game, compared to Maccabi’s 15. While Donta did most of the damage in the fourth quarter, it was a team effort overall that allowed them to come away with the big win.

This was a bitter pill for Maccabi Tel-Aviv to swallow, but it is a lesson best learned while the season is young and they can make adjustments. Brian Randle was their top performer with 13 points and 10 rebounds.