Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv crushed Hapoel Jerusalem 94-76 on their way to the 42nd Israeli Cup in the club’s history. Smith was absolutely amazing with 27 points and 7 rebounds. Randle contributed 14 points and 9 rebounds.
Share Article
By Amy Samin
Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv crushed Hapoel Jerusalem 94-76 at the Arena in the Israeli capital on their way to the 42nd Israeli Cup in the club’s history. Devin Smith was absolutely amazing with 27 points and 7 rebounds. Brian Randle contributed 14 points and 9 rebounds, Jeremy Pargo added 13 points, and Sylven Landesberg and Joe Alexander had 10 points each.
Maccabi’s starters were Yogev Ohayon, Alex Tyus, Brian Randle, Devin Smith, and Jeremy Pargo. Jerusalem got off to a running start, reaching 11-2 in the first three minutes of the period. A dunk by Randle, two triples by Pargo, and six points by Sylven Landesberg put Maccabi on top, 16-13. Jerusalem put an end to Maccabi’s run, responding to points by Tyus and Smith, and the quarter ended with points from the foul line by Landesberg, 22-21, Maccabi.
Five straight points by the hosts put Jerusalem on top at the start of the second quarter. Dunks by Joe Alexander, Pargo, and Tyus made it 29-28 three minutes into the period. Smith got a hot hand from downtown and also added points in the paint, causing Jerusalem to take a time out with Maccabi holding a 40-34 lead with three minutes left in the half. The hosts were able to tie the score with a minute on the clock, but Smith from the foul line and Alexander with a mid-ranger jumper made it 46-42 going into the break.
Eliyahu and Jones put Jerusalem within two at the start of the second half, but points by Randle under the basket, and Smith with a layup and one and a bucket from outside the arc put Maccabi’s lead into double digits after two and a half minutes. More points by Smith and Randle, plus a slam by Tyus (assist Pargo) extended the lead to 62-48 just past the halfway mark. Maccabi continued to cruise with points by Ohayon on the right wing and a tap in by Jake Cohen, and MarQuez Haynes added a huge three from close to half-court to finish the period with Maccabi leading 73-55.
Randle continued to contribute on both ends of the court, and Smith added another bucket and one to make it 78-59 two minutes into the final quarter. Jerusalem showed signs of getting back into the game with points by Bracey Wright and Donta Smith that stopped Maccabi’s run but still left the hosts down 85-67 halfway through the period. Ohayon fouled out for Maccabi, but as usual Devin Smith and Randle stepped up, and along with Pargo kept the lead comfortable. A triple by Cohen in the right corner put the finishing touches on Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv’s 94-76 victory over Hapoel Jerusalem in the Israeli Cup Final of 2015.
