Arzi to Miss Game in Holon; Borg Returns for Herzliya?
Crucial Game 5 Tonight
In a thrilling and closely contested series, Hapoel Holon and Bnei Herzliya will face off tonight at 20:50 (live on SPORT5) in a decisive fifth game. The series is currently tied at 2-2, with both teams vying for a spot in the next round.
Key Absences and Potential Returns
The purple team from Herzliya will have to navigate this pivotal match without forward Nataniel Arzi, who has been ruled out for approximately a month due to a shoulder injury, following an MRI assessment. Despite initial optimism regarding his condition after his injury in the last game, the team’s announcement confirmed his absence.
Conversely, Bnei Herzliya may welcome back guard Itan Borg, who has not participated in the series thus far due to an ankle injury. The decision on Borg’s participation will be made by the coach during the game.
Team Dynamics and Previous Matches
Coach Yoav Orland’s squad hopes to complete a perfect narrative in this critical game. Meanwhile, Gai Kaplan’s Holon team aims to avoid becoming the first in eight years to lose a series in the Winner Basketball League after leading 2-0.
Both teams have opted to retain their core lineups, as neither has taken advantage of the single player substitution option available for international players.
Holon enters the game with a sense of urgency following two narrow losses and is determined to showcase the dominant basketball they displayed during the initial games of the series. In the previous match, Mike Davis led Holon with 25 points, while Yiftah Ziv contributed 15 points along with eight rebounds and four assists. DJ Cooper also added 13 points and eight assists, though he faced four turnovers.
For Herzliya, along with the potential return of Borg, Orland has previously relied on a tighter rotation, with only seven players participating in last week’s game, three of whom logged over 35 minutes on the court. Markel Johnson, who scored just 19 points in the first three matches, had a breakout performance with a double-double of 28 points and ten assists. Elijah Stewart and John Miks also contributed significantly, scoring 20 points each.
Team Rosters
Hapoel Holon:
- Mike Davis
- Shachar Amir
- Mikal Kaiser
- Ofek Nismazon
- Dakari Tucker
- Idan Zalmanzon
- DJ Cooper
- Eliad Tal
- Ran Solomon
- Justin Alston
- Yiftah Ziv
Bnei Herzliya:
- Mikal Johnson
- Alon Michaeli
- Frederick Bordelaine
- John MIkens
- Yoav Shamir
- Shalev Logasi
- Omri Ben David
- Alon Aharonovitz
- Leons Onuaku
- Chinano Onuaku
- Itan Borg
- Elijah Stewart
As both teams prepare for this crucial encounter, the excitement is palpable for fans eagerly anticipating a high-stakes showdown on the court