After the loss to Bayern Munich, which severely damaged its chances of qualifying for the Euroleague playoffs, Maccabi Tel Aviv will try to recover tonight (Saturday) at the expense of Hapoel Eilat, in the first game for the Southerners with an audience. Omri Caspi returns to the champions squad and will actually get his first minutes in the league in 2021, Scotty Wilbkin, Othello Hunter and Angelo Cloiaro have not signed up. The injured Yuval Sussman will be out for the near future and Idan Albert will also be absent. Tzof Ben Moshe and Joaquin Schuchman will be absent from the hostess due to injuries.
Hapoel Eilat returned to the leading quartet in the table with its second victory in the last three rounds, 84:89 away over Nes Ziona. The group from the south entered the fourth quarter with a lag of 8, but defeated it 15:28 without scoring a single three: 0 from 5 from the outside compared to 11 from 13 for two in the last ten minutes. Casey Prather scored 12 of his 28 points (equal to his season high) in the fourth quarter, Joe Ragland who in the previous four games averaged 8.0 points added 20.
Maccabi Tel Aviv increased its advantage at the top with its biggest victory of the season, 63: 107 over Urbani Nahariya. All three last quarters with a double-digit gap: 13:30 on Monday, 12:25 on Tuesday and 21:32 on Wednesday, Chris Jones led with 17 points and 7 assists. On Thursday, the team was defeated for the third time in a row in the Euroleague: 72: 70 in Munich by Bayern.
Seven of the last eight league games between the teams were decided by a home win, with the only time the hosts surrendered was in October 2018: 70:83 to Maccabi Tel Aviv Begin. In the first round of the season, the Yellows won 74:86 at Menora Mivtachim The home team won 81: 86. Ariel Beit Halachmi needs one win to equal Molly Katzourin in eighth place all-time with 214 wins.Joakin Schuchman is 15 points away from 1,000 in his league career.
