Maccabi Tel Aviv cruised past Kiryat Ata 116-89 behind John DiBartolomeo's seven threes, while Hapoel Jerusalem, Hapoel Tel Aviv,, and Bnei Herzliya secured wins.
Maccabi Tel Aviv cruised past Kiryat Ata 116-89 as captain John DiBartolomeo drained a career-high seven three-pointers to lead the yellow-and-blue to a convincing Israeli Premier League win.
Oded Katash’s team established control early, with DiBartolomeo knocking down three triples in the opening stages. TJ Leaf, Armando Bacot and Bonzie Colson also found their rhythm, while Shane Hunter made his debut and finished in double figures.
DiBartolomeo scored 21 points, Leaf added 17, and Bacot contributed 16. Holland Woods led Kiryat Ata with 18 points.
“I’m happy that we won,” Katash said. “We pretty much had the game decided by the end of the first half, which allowed us to split up the minutes. We came into the game without some of our guards, which concerned me, but we didn’t really have an issue.”
DiBartolomeo was pleased with his team’s approach following a demanding Euroleague double week.
“We had good energy and focus,” he said. “It’s not easy after a tough double week, but we were happy that we could come in and begin the game well, which isn’t something to take for granted.”
Maccabi will next face Real Madrid in Euroleague action on Thursday.
Hapoel Jerusalem defeats Beersheba with strong second-half performance
In the capital, Hapoel Jerusalem defeated Hapoel Beersheba 88-74 after breaking away late in the first half and extending its advantage after the break.
The teams were tied 30-30 before Kenny Lofton Jr., Eitan Burg and Lorenzo Brown helped the Reds take a 42-34 halftime lead. Brown then sparked a 9-0 run to open the third quarter, giving Jerusalem the separation it needed.
David Roddy led Jerusalem with 16 points, while Lofton, Brown and Shake Milton scored 11 apiece. MJ Walker, Christian Coleman and Noam Avivi each finished with 11 points for Beersheba.
Jerusalem coach Sasa Obradovic was unhappy with his team’s first-half performance despite the win.
“We came in sloppy and not focused,” he said. “Even if the team we played didn’t have big-name guys, we have to be serious. The second half we were better, but we had to take this game better.”
The Reds will next face Rigas Zelli in a EuroCup matchup.
Hapoel Tel Aviv also won, overcoming Maccabi Ashdod 81-67 at the Drive In Arena behind Eugene German’s 31 points.
Ashdod led 48-46 at halftime, with Robert Turner scoring 20 points, but Hapoel tightened its defense after the break, limiting the visitors to just 19 second-half points. Tomer Ginat added 12 points, while Antonio Blakeney scored 10.
Coach Dimitrios Itoudis said his team needed a halftime reset after an undisciplined opening performance.
“You cannot come here, put on the Hapoel jersey, and play without an effort,” he said.
Hapoel will now turn its attention to Bologna in the Euroleague.
Bnei Herzliya outlasts Ness Ziona in double-overtime thriller
Bnei Herzliya survived a double-overtime thriller to beat Ness Ziona 103-96.
Zack Bryant led the winners with 23 points, DJ Brewton scored 21, and Dusty Hannahs added 20. Ness Ziona’s Josh Christopher poured in 30 points, while Jackson Rowe contributed 21.
Herzliya coach Yehu Orland now hopes to carry the momentum into Wednesday’s Basketball Champions League clash against Porto, with advancement to the next round in Europe among the club’s goals.
Hapoel HaEmek routed Maccabi Rishon Lezion 80-60 on the road to even its record at 1-1, despite entering the game following the dismissal of head coach Sharon Avraham over professional disagreements with management. Assistant Golan Jablonowsky took over on an interim basis.
After trailing 33-30 at halftime, HaEmek dominated the second half, outscoring Rishon 50-27. Malik Hall led the visitors with 30 points, while Niv Misgav added 12. Justin Tillman scored 20 for Rishon, which fell to 0-2.
Jablonowsky credited Avraham for his contribution to the team and said HaEmek’s return to its game plan after halftime proved decisive.
Hapoel Eilat defeats Holon to maintain undefeated start
Meanwhile, Hapoel Eilat defeated Hapoel Holon 78-69 at Begin Arena to improve to 2-0, leaving Holon winless after two games.
James Dickey led Eilat with 21 points, while Kendale McCullum added 11. Rivaldo Soares scored 15 points for Holon and Shahar Amir contributed 12.
Holon struggled from the three-point line, making just 10-of-33 attempts, while both teams committed 19 turnovers.
In the north, Hapoel Galil Elyon edged Maccabi Ramat Gan 104-101 in a dramatic contest at Kfar Blum, leaving both teams with 1-1 records.
Galil Elyon outscored Ramat Gan 33-23 in the third quarter to seize control and built a 16-point fourth-quarter lead. Ramat Gan mounted a late comeback and had a chance to cut the deficit to three, but a costly turnover let the hosts escape with the win.
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