Israel Falls to Croatia in World Cup Qualifier
Overview
In a disappointing display, the Israeli national basketball team suffered a defeat against Croatia, with a final score of 85-71. This loss marks a troubling 0-2 record for Israel in the early stages of the World Cup qualifying campaign, leaving the team with significant challenges ahead.
Match Highlights
Despite hopes of a comeback following a previous loss to Germany, Israel struggled to maintain consistent performance against Croatia. Mario Hezonja led Croatia with a double-double, scoring 19 points and securing 13 rebounds, while Rony Sorkin was Israel’s standout player with 20 points.
Scoring Breakdown
- Israel:
- Rony Sorkin: 20 points
- Kadin Carrington: 11 points
- Yuval Zusman: 8 points
- Other contributions: Itai Shegev, Tamir Blatt, Bar Timor (6 points each), Lior Karra, and Roi Huber (5 points each).
- Croatia:
- Michael Rozić: 23 points
- Mario Hezonja: 19 points and 13 rebounds
- Luka Bozić: 11 points
- Other contributions: David Skara (9 points), Toni Nakić (7 points), Goran Filipović (6 points).
Game Analysis
The game began unfavorably for Israel, with Croatia quickly establishing a commanding 12-0 lead, largely due to Hezonja’s early three-pointers. Israel coach Oded Katash called a timeout to regroup his team, which resulted in improved performance from Sorkin and Carrington.
As the game progressed, Israel exhibited both resilience and moments of disarray. They managed to reduce Croatia’s lead to five points at halftime. However, the third quarter revealed a persistent issue: following halftime, Croatia capitalized on Israel’s defensive lapses, pushing ahead with a swift 13-2 run.
Despite a valiant effort from their key players, including Sorkin and Carrington, Israel struggled with offensive consistency, particularly in critical moments, leading to missed opportunities and turnovers.
Looking Ahead
With this defeat, Israel’s ambitions for qualifying for the World Cup-its first since 1986-are in jeopardy. The team must improve significantly to advance in the tournament. Their next challenge will be a pair of games against Cyprus, critical for maintaining any hopes of qualifying.
Coach Katash will seek to integrate injured players Tomer Ginat and Yam Madar back into the lineup to bolster the team’s performance. Meanwhile, the absence of NBA star Deni Avdija, who is currently focusing on his professional career, leaves a gap that needs to be addressed.
Conclusion
Israel’s national basketball team faces an uphill battle in its World Cup qualifying campaign, requiring a turnaround in performance and strategy if they hope to salvage their chances of competing on the world stage. The upcoming games against Cyprus will prove pivotal in determining the team’s fate in this qualifying round.