The star center was the driving force for his team's victory in Game 1 of the finals
Johnathan Motley's 'amazing game' carried Hapoel one step closer to glory
Article
3 Mins read
When the head coach apologizes to a player or playing him too many minutes, it says something about how much that player means to the team.
And Coach Dimitris Itoudis did apologize to star center Johnathan Motley at the post-game press conference after the big man led Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv to a 74-65 victory over Dreamland Gran Canaria in Game 1 of the BKT EuroCup finals on Tuesday night.
Motley scored 12 points in the third quarter alone as Hapoel took control of the game, turning a 3-point halftime lead into a double-digit advantage, which it never gave up. Over the first 3 minutes of the second half, Motley drew the third foul from Gran Canaria starting center Mike Tobey, made 2 free throws, scored in the paint, sank a mid-range jumper and converted a fast break layup. He singlehandedly outscored the opponents 8-2 as Hapoel took charge of the game for good. After that, Itoudis could not find the time to rest him.
"I need to apologize to Motley that I played him 20 minutes in the second half," the two-time EuroLeague winning head coach said in the post-game press conference. "I was looking for 2 minutes to find to rest him. Obviously, Motley will say 'Keep me in. Keep me in.' But I have to be more, let's say to predict things, what will happen. He played also an amazing game."
That "amazing game" consisted of a game-high 18 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 1 block for a PIR of 19. What's more, he had a +/- of 14 in 35 minutes on the floor, which means that in the 5 minutes of the first half in which he rested, Gran Canaria outscored Hapoel by 5.
Those numbers didn't surprise anyone wearing a red jersey on Tuesday.
"Everybody knows [Motley's] talent and ability. He can do amazing things. He can do everything in basketball," Hapoel forward Tomer Ginat said after the game. "They didn't have an answer for him in the third quarter, in the second half."
Itoudis explained that leaning on Motley was something they were looking to do in the second half after discussing it at halftime.
"We changed some things and I think we were much more better and balanced on offense [in the second half], we shared the ball more," he explained. "We found some good looks with extra passes touching the ball more to Mot. And he becomes a secondary creator or he becomes the executor. And we were more composed on the defensive end."
Game Videos
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/fJimhj7rm1U/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Dreamland Gran Canaria-Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv | Finals Game 2 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup
- 00:11
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/9e00cb09-1dcf-4fb0-9df7-f311aaa5d5eb.jpg?crop=1228%3A690%3Anowe%3A16%3A52]()
Bingham with the poster dunk! Magic Moment
- 00:09
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/7e8c2416-77fa-4576-83dd-51c56e587dec.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A26%3A31]()
Brussino swats Blakeney! Magic Moment
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/55Uq4OOk8RA/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv-Dreamland Gran Canaria | Finals Game 1 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup
- 00:24
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/04/08/tDVYPnVgiKdVSZAjMlJbL9gW97vjRJcL-1744140917804.jpg]()
Blakeney puts Conditt on a poster! Magic Moment of the Night
- 01:15
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/04/08/xNR1wQ6KkGJwdPX0g7e0ypGze7cvV1Rg-1744139915336.jpg]()
Johnathan Motley: 'If we keep playing defense like this, we are gonna be hard to beat'
- 00:08
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/008590b6-fbb1-4704-b924-1b7d89c8dfce.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A102%3A149]()
What a super-block by Caboclo! Magic Moment
- 00:12
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/6135356d-a137-4026-83ce-ca5ecc27e046.jpg?crop=773%3A435%3Anowe%3A487%3A97]()
Motley stops Tobey on the way to the hoop! Magic Moment
- 00:51
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/04/02/EinarIScBWmqG06I5ZN9kUD4UzQKhooh-1743629548759.jpg]()
Antonio Blakeney: 'It was a hard-fought win'
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/67221449-e47a-419b-b4f6-99f26f1f8081.jpg]()
Valencia Basket-Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv | SF Game 3 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup
- 00:42
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/04/02/4gNYdtGDenXAd5suZIFlV9AMwHlrTaRR-1743629385335.jpg]()
Foster wins it! Magic Moment of the Night
- 00:54
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/04/02/JqXXeTYmVTIj9nmV1u2ouu5BXy3wQ0O8-1743623648548.jpg]()
Caleb Homesley: 'I'm really proud of our guys'
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/dnkG1iA22ss/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Bahcesehir College Istanbul-Dreamland Gran Canaria | SF Game 3 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup
- 00:15
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/51d331bd-c1e0-41fb-b7d4-afeb1860f6bf.jpg?crop=1290%3A725%3Anowe%3A16%3A102]()
What a vicious one-hander from Conditt! Magic Moment
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/CYxa4g6ybJ8/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Dreamland Gran Canaria-Bahcesehir College Istanbul | SF Game 2 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup
- 00:24
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/3bd7ec11-50f5-4218-a729-fe324a72e1bf.jpg]()
Homesley keeps Gran Canaria alive! Magic Moment of the Night
- 00:13
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/519031c8-f01f-460a-903e-53fb59888295.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A136%3A156]()
Tobey throws down the tough alley-oop! Magic Moment
- 00:08
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/dc903c65-e1db-4eb2-b931-2c851046cb8d.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A122%3A183]()
Brussino swats away Bouteille’s shot! Magic Moment
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/802a18ec-9f6d-49da-987b-057827d8cab7.jpg]()
Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv-Valencia Basket | SF Game 2 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup
- 00:13
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/2c2b14c8-e531-4a36-9c51-abb1bb14a204.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A159%3A17]()
Motley rejects Montero! Magic Moment
- 00:12
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/497a78aa-f9bc-4993-89c2-4eb674a9bbb7.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A141%3A161]()
Foster with the show and go! Magic Moment
- 00:09
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/c6588211-ab8b-4d66-abe1-0a06f70c204b.jpg?crop=840%3A472%3Anowe%3A258%3A17]()
Ginat fakes out Sestina and scores! Magic Moment
- 00:12
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/90f4e244-a6ce-46a1-b904-12615e09cd32.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A138%3A37]()
Bingham with the rejection! Magic Moment
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/xGRZrkWaVTg/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Valencia Basket-Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv | SF Game 1 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup
- 00:16
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/90f4e244-a6ce-46a1-b904-12615e09cd32.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A129%3A76]()
Hapoel's double block! Magic Moment
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/f241c215-7de2-4bcc-b557-bda825ba32ef.jpg]()
Bahcesehir College Istanbul-Dreamland Gran Canaria | SF Game 1 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup
- 01:06
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/03/12/ZjhZZ5ZdrABmAvrmhnVI5MM3JIy4OdJg-1741811429440.jpg]()
Marcus Foster: 'This is what playoff basketball is about'
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/9z2JH1JQL9o/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv-Turk Telekom Ankara | Quarterfinals Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup
- 00:15
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/9e00cb09-1dcf-4fb0-9df7-f311aaa5d5eb.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A132%3A60]()
Ragland to Bingham alley-oop! Magic Moment
- 00:11
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/995b58cf-50a0-462d-a000-9e6abde037e2.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A134%3A33]()
Motley’s big dunk! Magic Moment
- 01:00
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/03/11/D9zUSL6T20oGdcS1w7n0tQB0ezicjUa1-1741728066313.jpg]()
Caleb Homesley: 'We put everything we had on the line'
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/5da7U1mBfGY/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem-Dreamland Gran Canaria | Quarterfinals Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup
- 00:22
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/03/11/cvsTL0RIOgQYlHmJ81RiKu7RQ1yQZzol-1741728313874.jpg]()
What a bullet pass! Magic Moment of the Night
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/5uynmGkETrA/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Dreamland Gran Canaria-Umana Reyer Venice | Eighthfinals Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup
- 00:31
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/03/05/AjdLSC9xhKodmSvlFTuYG0np5OFcMuXP-1741212314990.jpg]()
Ngouama's poster dunk Magic Moment of the Night
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/66pr3Vsbz3k/maxresdefault.jpg]()
ratiopharm Ulm-Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv | Round 18 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup
- 00:12
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/497a78aa-f9bc-4993-89c2-4eb674a9bbb7.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A138%3A175]()
Foster finishes the thrilling alley-oop! Magic Moment
- 00:30
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/02/04/byNw6nV7afjdkXXgeBlTT59WeblDRVRG-1738703699159.jpg]()
Kljajic tremendous block! Magic Moment of the Night
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/wNhkTPMm_hI/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Trefl Sopot-Dreamland Gran Canaria | Round 18 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/1VxUBOeMcM0/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Dreamland Gran Canaria-Besiktas Fibabank Istanbul | Round 17 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup
- 00:16
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/8ebb1d42-3e26-4f7b-9f77-59b123364c57.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A71%3A51]()
Homesley throws it down in style! Magic Moment
- 00:14
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/8c24a8af-f857-4d28-99b7-c38252efd339.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A85%3A149]()
Homesley from nearly his own bench! Magic Moment
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/WoESK0IjyHg/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv-Trefl Sopot | Round 17 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup
- 00:13
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/7401cbfb-eca8-420e-8c93-0b0c539202c2.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A106%3A109]()
Caboclo says no to Zyskowski! Magic Moment
- 00:13
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/497a78aa-f9bc-4993-89c2-4eb674a9bbb7.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A135%3A202]()
Foster find his way to destroy the rim! Magic Moment
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/jUA3r7W-e0k/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv-Bahcesehir College Istanbul | Round 16 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/Y2gnseaLt6w/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius-Dreamland Gran Canaria | Round 16 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup
- 00:10
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/e338d9a8-42e8-43d2-8f3d-22e59546d3ec.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A74%3A57]()
Motley to Foster! Magic Moment
- 00:11
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/d4be74ef-208f-4aec-bfa3-4e2db1d212b4.jpg?crop=587%3A331%3Anowe%3A246%3A41]()
Diop throws down the putback! Magic Moment
- 01:00
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/01/18/YQUYkkL9PWHp3VIgMH4nPY9rfMHHZDbV-1737163097090.jpg]()
Filip Petrusev: 'I didn't know I liked playing against Monaco this much'
Motley was the first big signing that Hapoel made over the summer. At the time, it signaled that Hapoel had championship aspirations this season. And now the team is one win from that championship, not just because of Motley's ability, but also because of his leadership.
"I just really want to do whatever it takes to help my team win," Motley said after the game. "It means a lot to me, it means a lots to the team. We worked hard all year. So we're just gonna try to keep going and hopefully we just keep winning…
"We were happy with the defense [in the first half], but I think we just was missing some offensive execution. So the third quarter, I wanted to come out and be super aggressive. Maybe I could be the starter to help the offense move better. And I think I did a good job. You know, I started it, it came back, it came back to me. I finished the play. But man, we got a great team and [I'm] happy with everybody playing defense. They only scored 65 points!"
Hapoel was doubly aided by a great effort from its second-string center, Bruno Caboclo, whose performance Itoudis singled out.
"Bruno played probably one of his best games so far, defensively and offensively," Itoudis said. "He can spread the floor, he's really big. He can dominate on rebounds, block shots, intimidate guards to get into the paint with his verticality."
Could that tough defense and a dangerous Motley and Caboclo in the paint be the recipe to win the EuroCup Trophy? Hapoel will get a chance to test out that theory in Game 2 on Friday.