Israeli League, Regular Season, Game 24: May 5-8, 2008 - ISRAEL

May 19, 2013

Israeli League, Regular Season, Game 24: May 5-8, 2008

Campbell, Mossingson and Eytan celebrates - Hapoel Galil Elyon

Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv continues to struggle in the Israeli League. In the team’s first appearance after losing the Euroleague Final to CSKA Moscow in the Final Four in Madrid, head coach Zvika Sherf’s charges fell at home 72-77 on Thursday against former coach Oded Kattash and Hapoel Galil Elyon, which entered the game in the relegation zone. It was the perennial champs’ third league loss in a row and fourth in the last five games. Jai Lewis and Aaron Nixon paced Galil with 19 and 18 points, respectively. Lior Eliyahu led Maccabi with 17. Meanwhile, Hapoel Migdal Jerusalem lost on the road 103-88 to the league leader, Hapoel Holon, and missed a chance to move towards the fourth spot. In other results, injury-plagued Bnei Hasharon lost at home 69-80 to Ironi Nahariya, Ironi Ramat Gan stayed in the race for the Israeli final four with a 99-84 home win over Gilboa/Afula and Rishon Lezion continued its comeback with a straight third win, an 88-84 home triumph over Ironi Ashkelon.

Maccabi suffered its eighth loss in the domestic league and fell a win behind leaders Hapoel Holon with only three games to play in the season. The absence of injured captain Derrick Sharp didn't help Maccabi against its former coach, Oded Kattash, who celebrated his own small revenge with a shocking 72-77 win. Or Eitan scored all of Galil's early points, but Maccabi went ahead 12-8 lead. Nikola Vujcic with 7 points and 4 assists in the first quarter along with an energized Lior Eliyahu carried Maccabi to a 24-20 advantage after 10 minutes. But Galil stayed not too far behind. Jai Lewis had a big second quarter to lead Galil on a 1-7 run to take the lead late in the second, but Vonteego Cummings and Omri Casspi hit from long range to finish the first half tied 40-40. Just like in the Euroleague final on Sunday, after a close first half Maccabi suffered the first two baskets of the second half from long range by the opponent's guard, as Aaron Nixon made it 40-46. Galil found a soft Maccabi and quickly climbed to a shocking 45-56 lead after midway through the period. Terence Morris and Will Bynum led Maccabi's comeback, using 2 turnovers by Lewis to complete an 8-0 run, but Galil answered with a wild three pointer by Nixon and entered the last quarter holding a steady 56-63 lead. The visitors stayed focused and climbed to a 60-69 lead with less than seven minutes to go, putting the pressure on the champs' shoulder. Maccabi answered with 6 points in a row, but kicked the bucket when it had the chance to get closer. Bynum hit from long range to make it a 2-point game, but with less than a minute to go he missed a tough three-pointer and Galil had the ball up 71-74. Both teams made just one from the line and Maccabi wasted its last chance when Alex Garcia slashed to the rim and committed a turnover in the closing seconds. Lewis led the way for Galil with 19 points, Nixon followed with 18 and Mike Campbell finished with 12. Eliyahu finished as the top scorer for Maccabi with 17 points and Casspi added 12.

Jerusalem traveled to Holon to face the league leaders in hope to continue its success under new head coach Ziv Erez, but lost 103-88 despite three-and-a-half close quarters. Hapoel dropped to 11-13, two wins behind Nahariya with only three games to play. Next week Nahariya will host Holon and travel to Jerusalem in two encounters that will probably decide the identity of the last final four berth. Jerusalem took a 22-24 lead after one quarter, and stayed close until halftime, when Holon held a 45-44 lead. The locals took off to an 8-point lead, but Sharon Shason with a three-pointer put Hapoel back in the game. Another run by Holon was stopped by Timmy Bowers and Jamie Arnold, who brought the visitors within 77-73 with 10 minutes to play on the clock and Bowers even put Hapoel on top by a point early in the fourth. A timeout by Holon was followed by a 13-0 local blitz in the closing minutes, which decided the game, as Hapoel raised its hands, and lost by 15. Malik Dixon and Tre Simmons scored 18 apiece for the winners, P.J. Tucker added 16 with 9 rebounds while Elton Brown scored 13 in 12 minutes. Guy Pniny shinned for Hapoel with 19 points, 7 steals and 6 rebounds, Erez Markovic scored 17, Bowers added 15 points, 9 assists and 7 rebounds and Shason scored 12.

LAST GAME GAME 24 May 5-8, 2008
Day	Match	Result
May 5	Ramat Gan vs. Gilboa/Afula	99-84
May 5	Rishon Lezion vs. Ashkelon	88-84
May 8	Maccabi Elite vs. Galil Elion	72-77
May 5	B. Hasharon vs. Nahariya	69-80
May 5	H.Holon vs. Hapoel Jer.	103-88

NEXT GAME GAME 25 May 11-12, 2008
Day	Match
May 11	Hapoel Jer. vs. Ramat Gan
May 11	Nahariya vs. Hapoel Holon
May 11	Galil Elion vs. Hasharon
May 11	Ashkelon vs. Maccabi Elite
May 11	Gilboa/Afula vs. Rishon

	STANDINGS	TG	W	L	P+	P-
1	Hapoel Holon	24	18	6	2092	1857
2	Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv	24	16	8	2194	1984
3	Bnei Hashron	24	15	9	1890	1809
4	Nahariya	24	13	11	1988	1978
5	Ashkelon	24	12	12	2034	2131
6	Ramat Gan	24	11	13	2103	2192
7	Hapoel Jerusalem	24	11	13	2009	2027
8	Galil Elion	24	9	15	2029	2157
9	M. Rishon	24	8	16	1913	2000
10	Gilboa/Afula	24	7	17	1914	2031