JERUSALEM, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- Maccabi Tel Aviv rallied from 23 points down to defeat city rival Hapoel Tel Aviv 86-75 on Monday, claiming its 12th Israeli League Cup title in a dramatic final at Toto Arena in Holon.
Jimmy Clark led Maccabi with 24 points and seven assists as his team overcame a disastrous third quarter to end a six-game losing streak across all competitions.
The victory came eight days after Hapoel had beaten Maccabi by 18 points in the Israeli Super League, with the two EuroLeague sides set to meet again Thursday in Limassol, Cyprus.
With Hapoel star Vasilije Micic sidelined by injury, Maccabi made the stronger start, opening a 26-17 lead after the first quarter as Clark connected repeatedly from three-point range.
Hapoel responded in the second quarter, with Eugene German hitting five consecutive three-pointers to turn the game around and give his team a 44-36 halftime advantage.
German continued to dominate after the break, combining with Tomer Ginat to inspire a 15-0 run that stretched Hapoel's lead to 59-36.
Maccabi went seven minutes without scoring in the third quarter before Daniel Theis helped spark a recovery, cutting the deficit to 62-51 entering the final period.
Clark then took control from beyond the arc as Maccabi completed its comeback, outscoring Hapoel 35-13 in the fourth quarter to secure the trophy.
Theis and Keaton Wallace added 16 points apiece for Maccabi, while German led all scorers with 26 points for Hapoel.
The result gave Maccabi its 12th League Cup crown and ended its six-game losing streak ahead of Thursday's EuroLeague meeting.
Hapoel enters that contest with a 6-4 record in Europe's top club competition, while Maccabi will seek to improve on its 2-8 start. ■
