Daniel Oturu produced a Most Valuable Player performance for debutants Hapoel Tel Aviv, powering them to their fourth win of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague regular season with a thrilling 89–88 victory over Paris at the Adidas Arena.
Both sides entered the contest brimming with confidence – Paris riding a three-game winning streak, while Hapoel were coming off an impressive 100–93 triumph over Valencia. The matchup between two in-form teams promised excitement, and it more than delivered.
Hapoel took a narrow 45–44 lead into halftime, but Paris responded strongly, outscoring the Israelis 26–21 in the third quarter to take a 70–66 advantage heading into the final period.
Showing resilience and composure, Hapoel fought back in the fourth quarter, edging Paris 23–18 to snatch the one-point win.
Oturu led the charge with 19 points, nine rebounds, two blocks, one assist, and one steal, anchoring both ends of the court.
Vasilije Micić added 12 points, while Jonathan Motley and Antonio Blakeney contributed 11 points apiece. Elijah Bryant chipped in with 10 points to round out a balanced team effort.
For Paris, Nadir Hifi posted a game-high 23 points, but his effort fell just short. Justin Robinson and Derek Willis scored 13 and 12 points, respectively, while Mouhamed Faye registered a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
After winning the EuroCup last season, Hapoel have bolstered its roster with some of Europe’s top talents to compete in its maiden EuroLeague campaign. Up next for the Israelis is a tough test against AS Monaco next Thursday.
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