Basketball patients: Hapoel Jerusalem advanced to the final of the champions

In the midst of a difficult week for the State of Israel, where we were busy with many things not related to sports – we received from sports a great gift for the weekend. After 19 years, Hapoel Jerusalem qualified for the European finals again – when they beat Tenerife 68:69 tonight (Friday) in the semi-finals of the FIBA ​​Champions League. Aleksandar Džikić’s amazing team, in an unforgettable season, will continue the dream – and will meet on Sunday Telecom Bonn for the grand final game.

Hapoel Jerusalem scored: 19 for Kadin Carrington, 15 for Sim Sander and Neh, 12 for Leviai Randolph, 11 for Brandon Brown, 6 for Zach Hankins (6 rebounds and 2 blocks), 2 for Speedy Smith and Oz Blazer, one point for Marcus Meiris and Ithi Segev, Or Cornelius was a partner and did not score.

Tenerife scored: Marcelinho Huertes with 20 points, 18 for Giorgi Sharmadini, 7 for Fran Guerra, 6 for Aaron Doornkamp, ​​5 for Bruno Fittipaldo, 4 for Tim Avromaitis, 3 for Sasso Salin and Leandro Bolmaro, 1 point for Elgin Cook and Jaime Fernandez. Juan Sastra partnered and did not score.

What didn’t happen to Hapoel Jerusalem on the way to this game? Coach Aleksandar Džikić, just three days before the most important game in his career, received tragic news; And no less than four players in the team suffered from a virus and did not train regularly for their big game this season. One of them, the irony of fate, was Kadin Carrington – who recorded a great performance, on the verge of history, including a dramatic victory basket that sent Hapoel Jerusalem to the final game.

It was an evening filled with birthing ropes – a game full of emotional and mental roller coaster. Jerusalem opened up a big advantage in the third quarter, which even increased to 15 points (!), but in the last ten minutes Tenerife made a tremendous comeback – and managed to reverse the result. But precisely when everything seemed lost, Sim Sander Vena with two huge three-pointers managed to single-handedly bring the Jerusalemites back into the game – and paved the way for Carrington’s winning basket. An unforgettable victory for Hapoel Jerusalem, on a night she will never forget.

19 years have passed since Sharon Drucker, Kelly McCarthy, Tunji Awojubi, Doron Shafer and Will Solomon led Hapoel Jerusalem to a great victory over Real Madrid in Charleroi, and brought the Yolav Cup to the capital city. It’s not 2004 anymore, it’s 2023 And a lot has passed – for the club and for the country. And on Sunday, once again, this club that knew all the possible upheavals, will return to the finals. A modest team, that no one believed in, at the beginning of the year – may reach an unimaginable achievement. Who would have believed? Only Dzikic ‘.

the progress of the game
Hapoel Jerusalem started with the five with Speedy Smith, Levi Randolph, Or Cornelius, Marcus Meiris and Zach Hankins. The Spaniards, on the other side, with Marcelinho Huertes, Sasso Salin, Fran Guerra, Aron Doornkamp and Elgin Cook.

Jerusalem opened the game with high energy, mainly with the help of Zach Hankins – who scored the first points in the game and added a block on the other side. But the Spaniards, with characteristic efficiency, managed to take control of the game – and took the lead 4:9 from a three-pointer by Sasso Salin.

The trend has been clear ever since: Tenerife dominates, Jerusalem pursues. The gap at its peak increased to six points, but Carrington in excellent minutes managed to bite into the gap – and his basket reduced the gap to only two, plus another block by Zach Hankins. At the end of the first quarter, 15:18 for Tenerife.

Giorgi Sharmadini continued his excellent minutes for Tenerife in the second quarter as well, when he opened with five consecutive points – and the gap increased to eight points, 17:25. Jerusalem’s main weak point at the start of the game was shooting from outside the arc – the players in black went up twice for three-pointers and missed both. On the other hand, Tenerife also scored only one three-pointer.

Jerusalem’s main weak point at the start of the game was shooting from outside the arc – the players in black went up twice for three-pointers and missed both. On the other hand, Tenerife also scored only one three-pointer.

The one who did wake up well was Livai Randolph, who with four points reduced the difference to only two points again – 25:23 and a Spanish timeout. Kadin Carrington hit three times from the line – and we are tied, 26:26. Sim Vander Vane also came to the game, with two from the line that gave Jerusalem the lead and a basket from the edge of the paint that set 26:30 Hapoel Jerusalem.

Jerusalem didn’t score from outside the arc, until she did – and it came just in time, as the song says. 28 seconds into the half, Randolph went up for a three and scored. At halftime, 30:34 to Hapoel Jerusalem.

Hapoel Jerusalem opened the third quarter with record energy – mainly with the help of Kadin Carrington, who recorded eight consecutive points (shooting from the edge of the paint and two three-pointers) and opened a gap of ten points to the visitor from Israel – 32:42 for the Jerusalemites. However, not for ever resilience – and a comfortable basket by Charmadini plus a three-pointer by Bruno Fittipaldo managed to reduce the difference back to five.

On the other side, Brandon Brown also joined in Jerusalem’s three-point celebration – and the result is 37:45. Brown was jealous of Carrington – he saw two three-pointers from his friend, so he scored three three-pointers – and the gap had already increased to 15 points, 37:52. Shermadini woke up for the Spaniards, and his dunk restored the difference to ten points. At the end of the third quarter, 42:52 to Hapoel Jerusalem.

The fourth quarter opened in a very inaccurate way for Jerusalem – after an earlier offensive blitz, she did not score in the first two minutes. Marcelinho Huertes brought it down to 52:44, but then committed an attacking foul which is also his fourth of the game. The Spaniards returned to the game in a big way in the last quarter – and Aron Doornkamp’s three-pointer returned the gap to only five, 57:52. The turnaround was completed with a basket and a foul by Fran Guerra under the basket, making it 58:59 for Tenerife. Weak minutes of Jerusalem.

The one who woke up the Israeli team a bit was Sim Sander Vana, with a big three-pointer from the corner that equalized – 61:61. Huartes was the boss of the Spaniards in the last quarter – and he didn’t stop scoring, with four fouls. His basket once again opened a gap of four for Tenerife – 61:65. On the other side, the only one who functioned was Sim Sander Vena – and another three of his reduced the difference to only one point for the Spaniards, 66:67, with only 47.6 seconds on the clock; Number 11 scored again from the line – and equalized.

Shermadini was sent to the penalty line and scored only one, on the other side Kadin Carrington scored a basket with a great penetration – and returned the advantage to Jerusalem, 68:69. 20 seconds to the end, during the last move – Huartes penetrated the basket, took the ball out to Fittipaldo who threw completely free – but missed. at the end, 68:69 to Hapoel Jerusalem, who advances to the final of the Champions League!