Game of the Week preview: Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem v MHP RIESEN
Another week of the Basketball Champions League means another Game of the Week. A Group E showdown awaits on Wednesday October 19 featuring unbeaten Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem (1-0) and MHP RIESEN (1-0).
JERUSALEM (Israel) - Another week of the Basketball Champions League means another Game of the Week, and this one will be on Wednesday October 19 featuring unbeaten Group E teams Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem (1-0) and MHP RIESEN (1-0).
Where: Jerusalem, Israel (Pais Arena)
When: 21:00 local time
In their first game, Jerusalem snuck past Darussafaka 69-67, while RIESEN blew out Bakken Bears 99-58.
History not repeating: @JerusalemBasket lost to a 🇹🇷 team on a buzzer beater to start in 21-22, hold off @dackabasket to get the W at home on opening night! 😤 #BasketballCL pic.twitter.com/8zzqg18fhB
— Basketball Champions League (@BasketballCL) October 3, 2022
⚠️ 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵, 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗹𝗱 @MHP_RIESEN - @CoachJoshKing gets a W in his first game, and it's a trademark MHP win:
— Basketball Champions League (@BasketballCL) October 4, 2022
+18 in PTS from TO
+11 in fast break,
13 steals,
6 guys in double digits! #BasketballCL pic.twitter.com/TnQaV0SuKK
Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem won three of their six BCL games at home since the start of the 2021-22 season, after winning 18 of their 20 games at home in their three previous campaigns; Jerusalem conceded 67 points in their most recent home game – they have won 12 of the 13 games at home when conceding 75 or fewer points. Jerusalem's Khadeen Carrington has scored 15 or more points in three of his last four games in the BCL, including in his most recent encounter with RIESEN (17 points with JDA Bourgogne Dijon in March 2022); Carrington lost both games against RIESEN, making 3+ turnovers in each of those encounters. After winning their matchup on Gameday 1 (99-58 v Bakken Bears), RIESEN will try to win their first two games in a BCL season for only the second time in their five campaigns (also in 2021-22); RIESEN scored 99 points on Gameday 1 but haven't scored 90+ in consecutive games since November 2016 (two games). RIESEN have scored 13+ three-pointers in each of their last two BCL games after scoring that many three-pointers in only one of their previous 69 games; however, they managed to score more than 10 three-pointers in only two of their last 13 away games in the competition. Yorman Polas scored 15 points on Gameday 1 with RIESEN this season, but he is yet to score 15 or more points in consecutive games in the BCL; Polas has already played two games in Israel, losing both of his two encounters with Hapoel Holon. [/unordered]
As previously mentioned, the 37-year-old veteran Polas scored 15 points in RIESEN's first game (one of the team's six players to score in double figures) and finished with a team-high efficiency rating of 22, also chipping in 6 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 assists on 5-of-9 shooting from the field and a perfect 4-of-4 from the free-throw line.
Levi Randolph led Jerusalem in their first win (on his birthday) with 15 points and 4 assists on 6-of-14 shooting from the field. He was able to get to his spots and knocked down multiple contested mid-range fadeaways, as seen from the clip below, helping flip the momentum in favor of Jerusalem to get their BCL season started off on the right foot.
Team comparison by the numbers:
|
Jerusalem |
Stat Category |
RIESEN |
|
45.7 |
2-point FG % |
54.5 |
|
29.6 |
3-point FG % |
34.2 |
|
39 |
Overall FG % |
45 |
|
68.4 |
Free throw % |
92.3 |
|
24 |
Defensive rebounds |
28 |
|
11 |
Offensive rebounds |
23 |
|
35 |
Total rebounds |
51 |
|
9 |
Steals |
13 |
|
21 |
Assists |
17 |
|
12 |
Turnovers |
11 |
|
2 |
Blocks |
3 |
|
24 |
Points from Turnover |
28 |
|
24 |
Points in the Paint |
46 |
|
28 |
Points from the Bench |
50 |