When not much was going offensively for Hapoel, Marcus Foster could hardly find a better time to step up
Marcus Foster went to another level to keep Hapoel’s season alive
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It might have been far from pretty, but Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv is in the BKT EuroCup Semifinals. Hapoel came out on top in a hard-fought battle against Turk Telekom Ankara on Wednesday, a 67-61 win in a low-scoring quarterfinal affair, which was rather uncharacteristic for the Israeli side's high-scoring offense.
And while the defense shined against Turk Telekom, not much worked for Hapoel’s offense in this game. It resulted in just 28 first-half points, a record low for Hapoel in any half of a EuroCup game. When Turk Telekom put together a 2-8 run in the first two minutes of the third quarter, Hapoel found itself down 30-34.
That’s when combo-guard Marcus Foster came to the fore.
Foster's 14 second-half points
No one can say that Foster is an unlikely source of production. After all, no Hapoel player had scored more points (233) and made more three-pointers (33) entering the quarterfinals. And when not much was going his team's way, Foster couldn't have chosen a better time to step up.
"At some point I got to get myself going, and I got going a little bit," Foster said in a EuroLeagueTV postgame interview.
"For me individually, I’m just trying to find a way to help my team in many ways."
Down 30-34, Foster knocked down one three, then another to fuel an 8-0 run. He added another triple, his fourth of the night, to help open a 43-37 lead.
But even though Hapoel extended the margin to 12 points in the fourth quarter, the job was far from done.
Turk Telekom rallied and got within 61-58 in the penultimate minute. On the crucial ensuing possession, the ball went to Foster, who used a second effort to get to the rim and make a bucket to reopen a five-point advantage, which Hapoel knew how to protect.
"My coach, the fans and my teammates, they pushed me to a whole other level. I am happy to be part of this," said Foster, who was thrilled after finishing the game with a game-high 21 points and tying his career best by pulling down 8 rebounds.
Unsung heroes
For all the heroics Foster displayed, however, Hapoel needed a true team effort to progress to the next round.
Coach Dimitris Itoudis revealed after the game that Joe Ragland decided to play despite stomach problems, but that did not stop him from stringing together 6 points at the end of the third quarter to help Hapoel build a 52-45 lead.
In addition, the team captain Tomer Ginat felt dizzy during the game after playing nearly 14 minutes in the first half.
"I could not use him in the second half," Itoudis confirmed.
So, seldom-used 24-year-old Guy Palatin played late in the third and early in the fourth quarter, while Oz Blayzer played the first seven minutes of the fourth. With a significant defensive contribution from both of them, Hapoel held the visitors to just 5 points in the first six minutes of the fourth quarter to build a 61-49 lead, which it held on to until the end.
So, to no surprise, after the game, Itoudis stressed the team’s unity and trust in each other.
"We played all 12 players. That is why it is important to have all 12 players, and stay united," Itoudis explained.
'We've got more to do'
Not to be forgotten on a dramatic night were the several hundred of Hapoel fans who made a long trip to Bulgaria to support and help their favorite team as Hapoel overcame its struggles.
"We were sharp even when [Turk Telekom] made its runs", said Blayzer. "We knew that could happen and we stayed strong with the amazing support of the crowd. They made a difficult trip to come here and support us and they have a big role in this game."
So, for Hapoel, the journey continues past the quarterfinals for the first time in its three seasons since the club joined the competition. Next up, it’s the best team in the EuroCup, Valencia Basket, which will have home court advantage in a best-of-three series.
"This is what we came here for since the beginning of the season, to get to the finals and win," Foster pointed out. "We are right where we want to be, but we've got more to do."