Maccabi Tel Aviv beat Hapoel Tel Aviv in Euroleague derby in Limassol

In depth

Maccabi Tel Aviv beat Hapoel Tel Aviv 73:80 in a Euroleague derby played in Limassol, Cyprus. The derby was the first game Maccabi hosted in Cyprus in the Euroleague, after authorities in Israel refused to allow the game over security considerations. Before the game, an unusual security plan was announced, including hundreds of police officers, counter-terrorism units and a thorough search already on the day before.

The game was played after Hapoel Tel Aviv suffered a loss to Maccabi in the Winner Cup final. In the game itself, Jimmy Clark and Bonzie Colson led Maccabi with 14 points each. Yam Madar returned from an injury to Baffo and excelled in the fourth quarter, and Maccabi's point guard took a blow to the face in the first half and returned to play with a bandage.

The game was Hapoel Tel Aviv's third straight loss in the Euroleague, and Maccabi improved its record in the competition to 8:3. Meanwhile, Hapoel fans claimed discrimination compared with Maccabi fans over restrictions on bringing cheering equipment into the arena.