The Israeli side has clinched a playoff spot and now aims for an eighthfinals bye
Jerusalem proved why it is a strong title contender at Bourg
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Regular Season
Round 17 of 18
Group B
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Over the years, both BKT EuroCup and Turkish Airlines EuroLeague coaches have labeled the two competitions as marathons. And they have every right to say that. Every game is important, but title contenders tend to have short memories, bouncing back from tough defeats and ending losing slides with statement wins.
That’s precisely what Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem managed on Wednesday night and it did so in style against another team aiming for a deep run in the playoff, last year's runner-up Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse.
Bourg came into Wednesday’s clash looking to extend its three-game winning streak, while Jerusalem came into the contest following back-to-back narrow defeats. The momentum may not have been on Jerusalem’s side, but coach Yonatan Alon’s team demonstrated that they have what it takes to flip the script.
Jerusalem hit the ground running against the French side, dominating from the off at Ekinox. The visitors secured a 9-24 cushion after 10 minutes and never looked back. They maintained a double-digit lead for most of the game, handing Bourg its largest home defeat of the season (67-94) to clinch a playoff spot.
“Throughout the season, there’s ups and downs,” Jared Harper, who netted a game-high 31 points, said after the game. “Every team goes through that. I feel like in our last two games, the two losses, we played really good defensively, but our shots were not really going in. So, as long as we control what we can control, making sure we play in the right way as a team, and I think that we did that tonight, we’re going to make some shots and finish with the win.”
Jerusalem improved its record to 10-7 and a victory in their last game of the season against Turk Telekom Ankara will see them secure an eighthfinals bye. “It was a great team win,” Harper added.
“We knew coming into the game that we could solidify ourselves in the playoffs and we were able to do that with a great win on the road. Now we have control of our own destiny going forward, seeing the results of the other games, to try and get the best position we can going into the playoffs and go get a win next week.”
Boasting the same record as Jerusalem following its 84-81 victory over fellow playoff contender Umana Reyer Venice earlier on Wednesday, Turk Telekom also competes for a top-two spot, making Round 18’s duel a must-win clash for both sides. But as Harper pointed out, there’s no better way to prepare yourself for the postseason than locking horns with other playoff contending teams.
“It’s a big game,” Harper noted. “Turk Telekom are trying to get the same thing. It’s good, leading up to the playoffs of EuroCup, having these big games to get ready for the big playoff games.”
Valencia Basket has already secured both top spot in Group B, as well as quarterfinal qualification. Jerusalem, Turk Telekom and Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana will now compete for the second spot, with the Israeli side currently being in pole position. “This group is really tight and every game can mean a lot to every team,” Alon admitted in the post-game press conference.
On Wednesday, Jerusalem demonstrated that it can bounce back from adversity. Beating Turk Telekom in the last round could allow them to build consistency. And consistency is precisely what leads teams to titles.
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