Israel’s High Court of Justice was to hear petitions on Thursday over whether to replay the missile-disrupted opener of the Hapoel Tel Aviv–Hapoel Jerusalem semifinal, keeping the series scoreline in legal limbo hours before Game 3 tip-off in Tel Aviv.
Hapoel Tel Aviv is one win away from the Israeli Basketball Premier League finals after taking a 2-0 lead over Hapoel Jerusalem in a best-of-five semifinal series.
Game 1 on Sunday at Yad Eliyahu Arena in Tel Aviv was abandoned before the fourth quarter amid an Iranian missile barrage and updated IDF Home Front Command restrictions, with fans ordered to evacuate while Hapoel Tel Aviv led 77-67.
League authorities initially treated the result as a technical victory for Tel Aviv after Hapoel Jerusalem refused to resume play due to safety concerns, but the Israel Basketball Association’s court later ruled that the opener should be replayed from scratch, prompting appeals by Hapoel Tel Aviv, the league administration and the association prosecutor to the High Court. The legal battle has left the official status of the series opener in limbo even as play continues.
On Tuesday in Jerusalem, Hapoel Tel Aviv earned an 88-84 road win to move 2-0 ahead.
Game 3 is scheduled for Thursday night in Tel Aviv, with tip-off at 8:50 p.m. local time, and a Tel Aviv victory would complete a sweep and secure a spot in the finals, though the ultimate series scoreline may hinge on the court’s ruling.
