Maccabi Tel-Aviv takes Winner Cup Title

Maccabi Tel-Aviv defeated Hapoel Eilat 87-80 to claim the 2015 Israeli Winners Cup this preseason. It is a good start for the team to gain some momentum during these warm-up games. Devin Smith led Maccabi Tel-Aviv with a game-high 26 points and was named the Most Valuable Player. His aggressiveness paid dividends both for him and his team as they managed to keep a solid pace throughout the game and eventually secure the win.

The game was close at first, with Maccabi Tel-Aviv securing a 17-13 advantage at the end of the first frame. Despite Hapoel Eilat’s best efforts, Maccabi Tel-Aviv retained control of the game. Good defense also played a role for the boys in blue and yellow. They were able to handle the pressure and keep Hapoel Eilat in check for the whole contest. To Hapoel Eilat’s credit, they did keep the game close for the first three quarters and entered into the final period down by just three points, 63-60. Maccabi Tel-Aviv stepped on the gas late in the game, finishing strong with 24 points in the last quarter.

C.J. Leslie led Hapoel Eilat with 19 points, while teammate Elishay Kadir added 17.