Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Tel Aviv have secured their places in the Israeli Basketball League finals after completing 3-0 series sweeps in their respective semifinal matchups. The best-of-five championship series is set to begin Tuesday at Yad Eliyahu, promising a highly anticipated Tel Aviv derby showdown.

Maccabi Tel Aviv advanced by defeating Hapoel Holon 89-61 in the final game of their series. The outcome was largely decided in the second half, as Maccabi extended a narrow seven-point halftime lead with a dominant performance on both ends of the court. Jaylen Hoard led Maccabi with 18 points. Jimmy Clark, returning from injury, and Zach Hankins each contributed 14 points, while Roman Sorkin added 13. For Holon, Jordan Wright scored 14 points and Adama Sanogo tallied 12.

Maccabi coach Oded Katash expressed satisfaction with his team’s progression despite the obstacles posed by injuries, noting, “I’m happy and proud of how we advanced to the final. We continued to improve from game to game despite injuries and other challenges. The players deserve a lot of credit.” Katash emphasized that strong rebounding and defensive intensity were critical to sweeping the series but acknowledged concerns ahead of the finals as key players Gur Lavy and TJ Leaf will miss the upcoming series, with Tamir Blatt expected to return during the finals.

Hapoel Holon coach Predrag Krunic praised his team’s efforts despite the loss, stating, “We came to play and win, but Maccabi played really well in the second half on both sides of the floor. Our players did the best they could, and we achieved our goal of qualifying for the Basketball Champions League.”

In the other semifinal, Hapoel Tel Aviv secured a narrow 89-81 victory over Hapoel Jerusalem to complete their sweep. The game remained close through three quarters until Hapoel Tel Aviv pulled away in the fourth. Vasilije Micic led his team with 26 points, and Yman Madar added 22. For Jerusalem, Nimrod Levi scored 22 points, while Jared Harper contributed 16.

Hapoel Tel Aviv coach Dimitrios Itoudis attributed his squad’s success to their control of rebounding battles and transition defense. “We were the better team in this series. We won the battle on the boards, controlled the 50-50 balls and limited their transition game. Ultimately, we wanted it more,” Itoudis said.

Jerusalem coach Yonatan Alon reflected on a challenging season, expressing disappointment in the loss but crediting Hapoel Tel Aviv for their performance. “You can never be happy after a loss. This was a tough season and a tough way to finish, but credit to them. They made big plays when it mattered,” Alon remarked.

Emphasizing the significance of reaching the finals, Madar said, “I’m really happy. There was pressure on us, but we got the job done. We’re ready for the final and want to do something special.”

The upcoming finals will add another chapter to the intense rivalry between the two Tel Aviv clubs, with each team now three wins away from capturing the Israeli league title.