Hapoel Tel Aviv secured a historic EuroLeague playoff berth with a commanding 99-88 victory over city rival Maccabi Tel Aviv on Sunday in Belgrade.
The Round 30 rescheduled clash at Aleksandar Nikolic Hall saw Hapoel control the tempo from the opening tip, leading throughout and executing efficiently on both ends.
The result lifts Hapoel to 23-14 in the standings, guaranteeing a top-six finish and direct qualification to the playoffs in its debut EuroLeague season.
Chris Jones played a decisive role off the bench, recording 13 points and a career-high 11 assists for his first EuroLeague double-double.
The veteran guard dictated pace and spacing, consistently creating advantages in pick-and-roll situations while limiting turnovers to just one.
Hapoel’s offensive balance proved critical, with Elijah Bryant leading the scoring with 19 points, while Collin Malcolm added 16 and Antonio Blakeney contributed 14.
The visitors shot 66.7% from two-point range, highlighting their interior efficiency and ability to generate high-percentage looks.
Maccabi struggled from beyond the arc, converting just 8 of 36 three-point attempts, which limited its ability to close the gap despite solid free-throw shooting at 88.9%.
Lorenzo Brown was not listed, but Maccabi still had multiple contributors, including a 17-point effort from one starter and 15 points from Roman Sorkin.
However, defensive lapses and inconsistent perimeter shooting prevented the home side from mounting a sustained comeback.
Jones, whose professional journey began in Mongolia and included stops across Switzerland, Belgium, and Turkiye, has emerged as a key playmaker late in the season.
He has now recorded at least seven assists in six of the last seven games, taking on a larger role in ball distribution.
Hapoel remains in contention for a top-four finish, which would secure home-court advantage in the playoffs.
The team will close the regular season on April 17 with a road game against AS Monaco, a direct competitor in the standings.
Maccabi, now 18-19, will host Virtus Bologna on April 16 as it looks to end its campaign on a positive note.
