Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv delivered a commanding 105-83 victory over EA7 Emporio Armani Milan on Thursday night at Unipol Forum, reinforcing its position at the top of the EuroLeague with a 9-3 record.
The visitors matched Milan at 25-25 in the opening quarter before seizing control with a 24-20 second period that set the tone for a dominant second half.
A 12-0 run early in the third frame broke the game open as Hapoel outscored Milan 27-19 in that quarter and 29-19 in the fourth.
Antonio Blakeney and Dan Oturu led Hapoel with 20 points apiece, with Blakeney adding 7 rebounds and Oturu finishing with 10 made field goals while anchoring the interior.
Johnathan Motley added 17 points on 4-of-5 shooting from the field and Elijah Bryant chipped in 18 while also helping the backcourt maintain pace in transition.
Vasilije Micic rounded out the balanced effort with 13 points and 5 assists as Hapoel tallied 23 total assists on 41 made shots.
Hapoel shot an efficient 31-of-43 inside the arc and 10-of-22 from deep, repeatedly breaking Milan’s defensive coverages with quick decisions and strong ball movement.
The visitors also won the rebounding battle 37-27, converting second-chance opportunities and preventing Milan from establishing rhythm in the pick-and-roll.
Milan slipped to 6-6 after struggling to generate perimeter scoring, finishing 5-of-24 from three-point range despite a strong first half in which it trailed only 49-45 at the break.
Leandro Bolmaro led the home side with 16 points, while Quinn Ellis added 15, but the offense stalled once Hapoel increased pressure on the ball.
Zach LeDay contributed 11 points and 9-of-10 free throws, yet Milan’s defensive coverages repeatedly broke down against Hapoel’s interior passing.
Hapoel’s bench also provided crucial stability, with Dimitris Itoudis using 11 players as part of a rotation that consistently pushed the tempo.
Milan’s crowd began to empty late in the fourth quarter as Hapoel extended the lead past 20 points and maintained control through the final buzzer.
Hapoel returns home to face Real Madrid on Tuesday in a top-tier Round 13 matchup, while Milan travels to Maccabi Tel Aviv next Wednesday seeking to rebound after consecutive defeats.
