By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
With five players scoring in double figures, Hapoel Jerusalem beat Maccabi Tel Aviv 67 – 61 to win the 2023 Israeli State Cup title. This is the seventh time overall that the Jerusalem side claims the trophy and the first since 2020.
Speedy Smith led this balanced effort by Hapoel with 16 points plus nine assists. Former Maccabi player Oz Blayzer had 12 points, Levi Randolph posted 11 points plus five rebounds while Khadeen Carrington and Zach Hankins scored 10 apiece.
Lorenzo Brown (15 points, six rebounds) and Bonzie Colson (15 points) stood out from Maccabi. Josh Nebo contributed 10 points plus seven rebounds and Wade Baldwin added 10 points.
Hapoel had a strong second quarter to go up 40 – 31 at halftime. Maccabi got closer 54 – 48 at the end of the third period and approached by a shooting distance but Hapoel never gave up its lead.