Hapoel Jerusalem will try to maintain first place in the league (with a surplus game over Maccabi Tel Aviv) when it is hosted tonight in Romema by the new and surprising newcomer Hapoel Haifa (21:15, live broadcast on 5 SPORT). Jerusalem coach Dainius Adumatis decided not to sign Jamil Wilson to the squad.
In its last game three days ago, Jerusalem beat Hapoel Beer Sheva 66:94. The trophy holder shelled out 15 three-pointers at 58 percent, delivered 24 assists and already led by a record of 35 points. Tamir Blatt (4 of 5 for three) and Adam Ariel (5 of 6 for three) led six players in double digits with 15 points each, Malcolm Hill scoring four threes without a miss.
On the other hand, Hapoel Haifa lost 89:80 to Hapoel Eilat in the previous round. Twice this season, the Reds from Carmel combined three consecutive league victories, and in both cases they were stopped in the next game against the team from the south. Keenan Evans scored a season-high 24 points (9 of 13 from the field), but was stopped for a season-low in assists (only 2). The quarterback stands on a streak of three games with an index of 30 and above, which raised him to first place in the league in the index, in addition to being the king of assists.
The teams met only once in the league in the current millennium: 83:87 to Hapoel Haifa / Nesher in March 2000 with 22 points by Aron Mitchell and 20 by Amir Mukhtari. The home balance of the Reds from the Carmel against the Reds from the capital in the regular season stands at 2:22, with the only two losses being in December 1974 (68:72) and January 1995 (76:93 with 23 points by Radenko Dubrash). Jacoben Brown needs 3 points to equal Kendall Pinder in 50th place in all-time Jerusalem scoring in the Premier League with 586 points. Haifa has a 1: 5 balance at home, Jerusalem has a 1: 4 balance away.