After the heroic comeback effort on Thursday night, which clinched the ticket to the State Cup Finals, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv looks to complete another victory over Hapoel Holon on Sunday night in the Israeli Winner League (21:00, Live on Sport5 - Channel 55). Giannis Sfairopoulos's squad comes into the contest holding the top position in the table with ten wins and two losses, while Stefanos Dedas's unit sits in 6th place and an 8:5 record.

Scottie Wilbekin, Angelo Caloiaro, Ante Zizic, and Omri Casspi won't dress up for the contest. The Yellow & Blue registered Elijah Bryant, T.J Cline, Chris Jones, Othello Hunter, Sandy Cohen, Tyler Dorsey, John DiBartolomeo, Oz Blayzer, Dragan Bender, Dori Sahar, Eidan Alber, and Yovel Zoosman.

Sunday's match will be Maccabi and Holon's fourth meeting this season, as all three previous games delivered tight finishes and high level of play. The Purples came on top in the last Israeli Winner League match. However, in the Winner Cup Finals and in the State Cup Semifinals, the Yellow & Blue side didn't miss the chance to capture a title and advance to another Cup Final. 

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Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv's great stretch continued on Sunday with an impressive performance by Giannis Sfairopoulos squad beating Hapoel Holon in the Israeli Winner League, 100:81. The Yellow & Blue's next challenge will be on Thursday as they return to the EuroLeague, heading out on the road to Olimpia Milano. 

Like on Thursday's State Cup Semifinals, Oz Blayzer finished as the top scorer with 19 points while adding 6 rebounds as T.J. Cline received his first minutes under the Yellow & Blue jersey, responding with 9 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists. Chris Jones, who wasn't registered in the last couple of games, completed a perfect night with 15 points (100% FG) and 9 assists.



Game Recap:

Maccabi opened with John DiBartolomeo, Yovel Zoosman, Elijah Bryant, Oz Blayzer, and Othello Hunter. Holon began with Yogev Ohayon, Tyrus Mcgee, Chris Johnson, Maxim De Zeeuw, and Isaiah Miles in the starting five.

Zoosman and Hunter led the Yellow & Blue to a dominant start scoring nine unanswered points in the first two minutes of the contest. T.J Cline came off the bench for his Maccabi debut and contributed early with an assist to Hunter. 

From the other end, C.J. Harris connected six straight free throws, but Cline continued his excellent stint with two buckets to close out the quarter, 25:13.



Cline added to the lead with a shot from behind the arc, Blayzer knocked down back-to-back three-pointers, and Chris Jones laid in two completing a 13:3 run, 38:18. 

Harris and Miles shot in three consecutive triples, and Mcgee finished a three-point possession, diminishing the Yellow & Blue margin down to 8, 38:30. A Jones steal led to a beautiful assist to Bryant, who laid in the final points of the half, 46:36.

The second half opened with a vicious block by Blayzer on De Zeeuw, which led to an easy Bryant layup. Jones converted a three-point play and added an assist to Hunter, who increased the margin back to 19, 61:42. 



Sandy Cohen heated up from deep, drilling three straight shots from behind the arc, Workman and De Zeeuw responded on the other end, reducing Maccabi's edge, but Jones floated in two, beating the third-quarter buzzer, 77:59.

Holon started the 4th quarter with a lot of energy, Guy Pnini knocked down a three, and Mcgee scored four quick points as part of a 12:2 run, decreasing the lead to single digits, 77:69. 

Blayzer and Bryant stopped the Purple's momentum as Zoosman and Hunter performed powerful slams, running away for good with a 15:0 stretch, 93:73. Maccabi beats Holon for the second time in three days, 100:81.

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