"The fact that we didn’t give up easy points gave us a boost. We were good in this road game," Hapoel Tel Aviv head coach Dimitris Itoudis said.
Itoudis still has plenty of work to do to get this team into a position to win the EuroCup as well as the Israeli league.
Shorts came out on fire, scoring with ease and creating havoc for the Maccabi defense. Tyson Ward and Maodo Lo also contributed early and often, giving Paris a commanding 50-36 lead at halftime.
The 54-year-old Greek tactician, a two-time Euroleague champion, signed a three-year deal worth a reported $1 million per season, taking over the head coaching role from Stefanos Dedas.
With owner Ofer Yannay heavily invested in Hapoel Tel Aviv, his goal is to find a way to move up and play in the Euroleague with all of the continent’s top teams.
Elsewhere, Bnei Herzliya defeated Maccabi Tel Aviv 106-101 in overtime, thanks to Xavier Sneed’s clutch play.
Iranian missiles halt Israeli basketball, sending players to shelter as sirens sound nationwide.
Hapoel Tel Aviv's early-season struggles highlight the challenges for coach Dedas in uniting a talented roster after back-to-back losses.
With 109-102, Maccabi Ramat Gan is advancing to the Winner Cup semis.
Beverley, who currently plays for Hapoel Tel Aviv, said his stay in Tel Aviv raised some concerns among his acquaintances, "Playing in Israel, obviously, I wake up. I get phone calls."
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