Hapoel Tel Aviv Crushes Beşiktaş 100-82 in Sofia EuroLeague Clash
Hapoel Tel Aviv cruised to a 100-82 victory over Beşiktaş in Sofia, improving to 3-2 in the EuroLeague. Amir Coffey shone in his debut with 15 points, while Vasilije Micić and Elijah Bryant led the charge.
Hapoel Tel Aviv returned to the EuroLeague win column in style on Wednesday, defeating Beşiktaş 100-82 at the Arena 8888 in Sofia. Dimitris Itoudis's squad improved their record to 3-2, kicking off the double-week on the right foot with a sweet victory over the Turkish side.
The first half was much tighter than the final score suggests, as Amir Coffey made an impressive EuroLeague debut after returning from injury, scoring seven points in the first quarter. Hapoel led 22-18 after ten minutes, but struggled to pull away against Anthony Brown, Ante Žižić, and former Maccabi Tel Aviv forward Wenyen Gabriel. Baskets from Zach LeDay and Antonio Blakeney helped the Reds build a seven-point edge, but Beşiktaş trimmed the deficit to 43-39 at halftime.
A completely different Hapoel team emerged after the break. LeDay ignited a decisive run, Elijah Bryant hit from beyond the arc, and the lead reached double digits for the first time. Vasilije Micić took control of the game as the Reds dominated the third quarter 32-16 to pull away 75-55.
In the final quarter, Hapoel maintained their defensive intensity, with Tai Odiase providing a massive block on Gabriel and Blakeney continuing to torment the Turkish defense. The lead surpassed 20 points as Hapoel cruised to a comfortable 100-82 victory, finishing with five players in double figures led by Micić and Bryant with 16 points apiece.
