Hapoel Midtown Jerusalem claimed its seventh Winner Cup with an 89–84 victory over Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv in a thrilling final at Pais Arena in the Israeli capital on Saturday night. Jerusalem added another trophy to its collection just weeks after lifting the Israeli Super Cup.
Jared Harper was named MVP of the finals after starring for the winners with 33 points and 5 assists. His performance echoed last season’s playoff heroics, when his buzzer-beater eliminated Tel Aviv in the semifinals. Harper’s backcourt mate, Khadeen Carrington, added 15 points, Roi Huber followed with 12 and Yovel Zoosman 10. Antonio Blakeney paced Tel Aviv with 19 points, Elijah Bryant scored 18 and Vasa Micic tallied 14 points and 6 assists.
The matchup delivered everything expected from two of Israel’s biggest clubs. Jerusalem entered the game looking to build momentum after a mixed start to the season, highlighted by a recent EuroCup win over Besiktas Gain Istanbul. Tel Aviv, meanwhile, sought to end a 32-year drought in domestic trophies despite its rise to EuroLeague status following last season’s BKT EuroCup triumph.