Full Breakdown
Season Opener Highlights: Israeli League and EuroLeague Action
By Drooid · · How we work
Opening Night in the Israeli Premier League
Maccabi Tel Aviv opened with a 120-93 win over Hapoel Galil Elyon, building a 41-10 lead after the first quarter. Jimmy Clark led with 16 points; TJ Leaf, Will Rayman and Keaton Wallace each added 14. Maurice Kemp topped the opposition with 27.
Hapoel Tel Aviv beat Hapoel Beersheba 95-82; Dan Oturu scored 21, Eugene German 20 and Tai Odiase 12.
Ironi Kiryat Ata edged Hapoel HaEmek 86-85 after a dramatic finish; captain Tomer Asayag recorded a career-high 26.
EuroLeague Milestones
Maccabi Tel Aviv earned its first EuroLeague win, defeating Armani Milano 97-79 in Belgrade due to security concerns in Israel. Yam Madar and Jaylen Hoard sparked the offense, with Iffe Lundberg, Daniel Theis and Bonzie Colson adding points.
Hapoel Tel Aviv fell 93-82 to Valencia; Antonio Blakeney led Valencia with 30 points, while Hapoel’s defense struggled.
Data & Statistics
- Maccabi 120-93 Galil Elyon (Premier League)
- Hapoel Tel Aviv 95-82 Beersheba (Premier League)
- Kiryat Ata 86-85 HaEmek (Premier League)
- Maccabi 97-79 Armani Milano (EuroLeague)
- Hapoel Tel Aviv 82-93 Valencia (EuroLeague)
- Top scorers: Maurice Kemp, Tomer Asayag, Antonio Blakeney.
Official Statements & Responses
Maccabi coach Oded Katash praised the home atmosphere and early-season confidence.
Hapoel Jerusalem coach Sasa Obradovic called the fans the “sixth man” in a win over Hapoel Holon.
Kiryat Ata coach Eldad Bentov highlighted team unity and the impact of returning players.
Hapoel Tel Aviv head coach Dimitrios Itoudis described the defensive effort against Valencia as “very poor” and noted the adjustments made.
Verbatim Quotes
- “It was fun to start the season off and to play at home in front of our fans,” — Oded Katash, Maccabi coach
- “This is a great win. First of all, I want to thank our amazing fans. They were our sixth man,” — Sasa Obradovic, Jerusalem coach
- “We expected to look better. It’s very disappointing, but we’ll have to learn from this and make adjustments.” — Tomer Asayag, captain
- “I want to congratulate Valencia on the win. They opened the game very aggressively, moved the ball quickly, and knocked down open three-pointers. Our defensive effort was very poor and lacked balance. We tried to make adjustments that would help us defensively as a team while also moving the ball quickly on offense, and that worked at certain points.” — Antonio Blakeney
Timeline
- October 8, 2026 – Jacob Toppin (Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv) and TJ Shorts (Valencia) compete in a EuroLeague round-4 game at the Roig Arena.
What’s Next
Maccabi Tel Aviv faces a EuroLeague double-week with games in Barcelona and Valencia, then matchups against Besiktas in Sofia and Panathinaikos in Athens. Hapoel Tel Aviv will look to improve defensively ahead of its next EuroLeague fixtures.