Lakovic and Tobey lost their first final match in the European Cup
The basketball players of Israel Hapoel from Tel Aviv won the first European Cup final. In Bulgarian Samokov, where they play home games, Israelis beat the Spanish Gran Canario Slovenian coach Jake Lakovic and a former Slovenian national team Mika Tobey With 74:65.
Lakovic made it to the European Cup finals with Gran Canario after defeating the Turkish BahceSehir in the decisive third game of the semi -finals and qualifying for the second time under Lakovic’s leadership. In the 2014/15 season, Gran Canaria lost to the Russian himki, and two years ago, under the leadership of Lakovic, defeated Turkish Telekom.
In the finals, Gran Canaria, which Lakovic has been running since 2022, is measured by Hapoel from Tel Aviv. He also celebrated his away in the decisive third game, preventing the Spanish finals. Valencio chased away with 94:92. Hapoel of Tel Aviva is the second Israeli club to qualify for the finals of this competition. In the 2003/04 season, this succeeded Hapoel from Jerusalem.
Mike Tobey collected two points and five rebounds in the first final match. Photo: Issei Kato Reuters
Today, the duel was equalized by the end of the second quarter, when the Spanish team was still a point, and then the Israelis came to a small advantage (39:36) at halftime. In the sequel, they no longer dropped it out of hands, led by more than ten points (62:50), and at the end routinely came to the first victory in the finals.
At Hapoel is Johnathan Motley scored 18 points, Antonio Blakeney And one less. In the Spaniards, Tobey scored two points with a 1-4 throw and added five rebounds. Shooting was the most in the mood George Conditt with 12 and Caleb HomeSley with 11 points.
The second match in the Canary Islands will be in three days, and the third one will then then be 16. April.
Cedevita Olympia has participated in Slovenian clubs this season and dropped out in the quarterfinals against BahceSehir.
The only Slovenian finalist so far was Krka, who lost in the first edition of this competition in the 2002/03 season after two games against Valencia, otherwise a record holder with four titles.
