Basketball

Blazers ride Avdija's late heroics to play-in victory over Suns

Avdija's ability to control the game stood out as much as the scoring. Avdija shot 15-of-22 from the field, added 12 assists, and dictated the tempo throughout his 38 minutes on the court.

|ByJERUSALEM POST SPORTS STAFF
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS Israeli forward Deni Avdija drives on Phoenix Suns guard Collin Gillespie for two of his game-high 41 points in the Blazers’ 114-110 victory
Harrison Hochberg, the first Jewish member of the University of Michigan basketball team to win a National Championship.

On the record and off the court: Meet the only Jewish player on the NCAA championship team

As one of a small number of Jewish men’s basketball players in the Big Ten Conference, Hochberg reflects on the championship run, celebrating Passover during the Final Four, and antisemitism.

|ByADAM FINKEL/JTA
MACCABI TEL AVIV guard Lonnie Walker found his form to score a game-high 25 points in the yellow-and-blue’s 103-89 Euroleague win over Anadolu EFES.

Hapoel Tel Aviv, Maccabi Tel Aviv make crucial Euroleague wins ahead of derby

Hapoel up to 4th place in Euroleague with win over Panathinaikos • Maccabi continues late-season push for Play-In.

|ByJOSHUA HALICKMAN
CLAUDIO COLDEBELLA reflects on Maccabi Tel Aviv’s turbulent season as the club battles adversity on and off the court in its push toward the Euroleague playoffs.

Between war and wins: Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Euroleague playoff push fueled by resilience - interview

Recently, Maccabi General Manager Claudio Coldebella spoke with Giuseppe Nigro of La Gazzetta dello Sport in Italy, sharing some of the successes he has experienced this season.

|ByJOSHUA HALICKMAN

Israel's exit from EuroBasket left the good, the bad, and the ugly on sight

A win over France was no doubt the highest point for Israel, while a close loss to host Poland after having heard the Israeli national anthem Hatikvah booed loudly was one of the lowest.

SEPTEMBER 12, 2025ByJOSHUA HALICKMAN
Deni Avdija bleeding.

Israel falls to Greece, exits EuroBasket

Avdija scores 23 but can’t match Antetokounmpo’s 37 as blue-and-white bows out in round-of-16.

SEPTEMBER 8, 2025ByJOSHUA HALICKMAN
GREEK SUPERSTAR Giannis Antetokounmpo dunks over Israel’s Tomer Ginat (41) and Roman Sorkin during Greece’s 84-79 victory over the blue-and-white in their EuroBasket round-of-16 clash late Sunday night in Riga, Latvia.

Israel loses to Luka, Slovenia at EuroBasket

Luka Doncic scored 37 points as Slovenia beat Israel 106-96 at EuroBasket 2025, despite Deni Avdija’s career-high 34 in a thrilling Group D clash.

SEPTEMBER 5, 2025ByJERUSALEM POST SPORTS STAFF
DENI AVDIJA drives against Slovenia’s Luka Doncic during Israel’s 106-96 EuroBasket loss.

From Herzliya to Tennessee via EuroBasket: Israel's guard Eitan Burg’s big step - interview

The guard, who turns 23 on Thursday and is about to start his first season in the NCAA at the University of Tennessee, had just finished a decent campaign with Bnei Herzliya.

SEPTEMBER 3, 2025ByJOSHUA HALICKMAN
EITAN BURG celebrates Team Israel’s advancing to the EuroBasket round-of-16 as the NCAA-bound guard makes his mark on the international stage.

Israel beats Belgium, advances to the round of 16 in EuroBasket for first time in a decade

The Belgians nearly erased a 21-point deficit in the final quarter – but the Israelis held on to claim a landmark achievement that has eluded them since 2015.

SEPTEMBER 2, 2025ByJERUSALEM POST SPORTS STAFF
Israel players celebrate on the court following Tuesday’s 92-89 victory over Belgium, a result that secured the blue-and-white’s spot in the EuroBasket last-16.

Deni Avdija, Yam Madar lead Israel to first win over France since 1997

It was a historic night for Israel at EuroBasket as Avdija, Madar, and Ginat led the team to a thrilling win over France.

SEPTEMBER 1, 2025ByJOSHUA HALICKMAN
ISRAEL FORWARD Deni Avdija led all scorers with 23 points as the blue-and-white pulled off a surprise conquest of France last night to improve to 2-1 at EuroBasket.

Israel beats Iceland 83-71 to open 2025 EuroBasket campaign

Avdija and Sorkin lead Israel past Iceland 83-71 in EuroBasket opener.

AUGUST 29, 2025ByJOSHUA HALICKMAN
ISRAEL PLAYERS celebrate with their fans after beating Iceland 83-71 on Thursday in Katowice, Poland, to open group play at EuroBasket 2025.

Itay Segev: 'Representing Israel during time like these is greatest honor' - interview

This past July, Itay Segev also crossed that point, and now he’s no longer a kid. Still, EuroBasket 2025 is his first appearance with the Israel National Team, and the excitement is high.

AUGUST 29, 2025ByJOSHUA HALICKMAN
ISRAEL CENTER is excited to be playing for the blue-and-white at EuroBasket 2025.

Israel National Team balances remembrance and readiness ahead of EuroBasket tip-off

Ahead of their EuroBasket debut, Israel’s national basketball team visited Auschwitz and Birkenau, reflecting on history and finding unity as they prepare to face Iceland.

AUGUST 28, 2025ByJOSHUA HALICKMAN
ISRAEL PLAYERS Guy Palatin (left) and Deni Avdija visit concentration camps in Poland ahead of Thursday’s EuroBasket opener vs Iceland.

TJ Leaf finally comes home to Holy Land

After years of speculation, Israeli-born forward fulfills lifelong dream of joining Maccabi Tel Aviv

AUGUST 26, 2025ByJOSHUA HALICKMAN
FORMER NBA big man TJ Leaf arrives to a hero’s welcome at Ben-Gurion Airport this week, ready to start his European journey in front of Maccabi Tel Aviv’s passionate fans.