Maccabi Rishon LeZion and Hapoel Be'er Sheva met in the League Cup on 22 September 2026, and the visitors took the 75:84 win. It was a tight affair from the opening tip, with neither side willing to let the other breathe. By then, the pattern was clear—Be'er Sheva's outside game would be the difference.
The hosts started brighter, leading through the first quarter, but the visitors found their rhythm. Maccabi's 27 field goals from 54 attempts looked respectable until you saw the shooting split. Six from three-point range against ten for the away side changed the complexion of the game. And here's the thing—the free throws told the same story, 15 for the hosts, 16 for the visitors, but Be'er Sheva made more of their chances when it mattered.
To be fair, Maccabi kept things competitive through rebounding pressure. Six offensive boards gave them second chances, and seven blocks disrupted Be'er Sheva's flow at times. But the defensive rebounds told a different tale—20 for the hosts against 24 for the visitors. The away team cleaned up better, and that is often what separates close games.
The statistics paint a picture of efficiency over volume. Be'er Sheva shot 29 from 59 field goals compared to the hosts' 27 from 54. They also pulled down 34 rebounds to 26, and registered 22 assists against just 10. The turnover count was similar—18 for the hosts, 20 for the visitors—but the away team converted their possessions more effectively.
We had given Maccabi a 56 per cent chance at victory, but that assessment did not survive the game. The visitors simply shot better from distance, and the hosts could not find a way to contain the perimeter. Personal fouls were not the issue—25 for the hosts, 20 for the visitors—so it was not about giving away free points.
Both sides now sit on zero points after three games, with one win and two losses each. The result does not shift the table, but it does extend Be'er Sheva's confidence while leaving the hosts searching for answers. The hosts had everything to do all evening, and they ran out of ideas before the final buzzer.
