Hapoel Tel Aviv edged Paris Basketball 89-88 in a high-octane EuroLeague clash at Adidas Arena on Friday. The visitors overcame a relentless home team to improve their record to 4-1.
Dan Oturu led Hapoel with 18 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks, while Vasilije Micic added 12 points and Antonio Blakeney contributed 11. Johnathan Motley chipped in 11 points, helping the team dominate the boards with 44 rebounds.
Paris’ Nadir Hifi kept the hosts in contention, scoring a team-high 23 points, while Justin Robinson and Dereik Willis added 13 and 12 respectively. Hifi had a chance to win it at the buzzer, but his final shot rimmed out, sealing the narrow loss for the French side.
The game featured a fast-paced, back-and-forth battle from the tip, with momentum swinging constantly. Hapoel’s Tyler Ennis hit two clutch free throws in the final seconds, and Elijah Bryant secured a key rebound that helped decide the outcome.
Hapoel’s five players reached double figures in scoring, and the team shared the ball effectively, recording 20 assists against just 14 turnovers.
Collin Malcolm and Tomer Ginat made crucial three-pointers, while Micic set the early tempo for the visitors. Hapoel’s bench stepped up to maintain intensity, helping the starters stay fresh in the closing minutes.
Paris rallied in the fourth quarter, erasing a late deficit and taking the lead briefly, but missed opportunities in crunch time proved costly.
Hapoel will look to extend their winning streak when they host AS Monaco next Thursday. Paris, meanwhile, will aim to bounce back at home against Partizan Belgrade.
