2026 Israeli Basketball State Cup

The 2026 edition of the competition used a quarterfinal-to-final knockout structure. The four teams ranked first through fourth in the domestic league played single decisive games against opponents ranked fifth through eighth, with matchups and home-court advantage determined by a draw.[4]

The four quarterfinal winners who advanced to the final four were Maccabi Tel Aviv, Hapoel Jerusalem, Bnei Herzliya, and Hapoel HaEmek. In the quarterfinals, Bnei Herzliya defeated Hapoel Be'er Sheva/Dimona, Hapoel Jerusalem eliminated Hapoel Tel Aviv, Maccabi Tel Aviv beat Ironi Kiryat Ata, and Hapoel HaEmek ousted Hapoel Holon.[5] The draw for the semifinals paired Maccabi Tel Aviv against Hapoel Jerusalem and Bnei Herzliya against Hapoel HaEmek, with both semifinal games scheduled at Yad Eliyahu in Tel Aviv — the Maccabi–Jerusalem contest on Sunday evening and the Herzliya–HaEmek matchup on Monday — followed by the final at Menora Mivtachim Arena on Thursday, 19 February.[3][4]

A notable subplot entering the tournament was the broader context of Maccabi Tel Aviv's season. The club had endured a poor start to the campaign, and a crisis had nearly cost coach Oded Kattash his position. By February, however, Maccabi had reversed its fortunes, stringing together a winning run in EuroLeague play and climbing to first place in the domestic league before the cup run began.[2]

Among the quarterfinal results, Hapoel HaEmek's victory over Hapoel Holon carried special significance: it marked the first time in club history that HaEmek had reached the State Cup final four. The milestone was all the more striking given that the club — which had changed its name from Hapoel Gilboa/Galil before the season — had previously won a league championship and appeared in league finals, yet had never before advanced this far in the cup competition.[3]

Maccabi Tel Aviv defeated Hapoel Jerusalem 94–85 in the first semifinal. Jerusalem controlled much of the game and built a lead approaching double digits in the second half, but Maccabi rallied behind contributions from Jimmy Clark, Jaylen Hoard, and Gur Lavy.[6] Roman Sorkin finished with 20 points, Jeff Dowtin Jr. — returning from a foot injury — added 19 points, five rebounds, and four assists, and Clark contributed 16.[6][7] Khadeen Carrington led Hapoel Jerusalem with 22 points.[6] Coach Oded Kattash acknowledged after the game that it could have gone either way and praised his team's persistence and rebounding.[7]

The second semifinal, played on 16 February, produced an equally dramatic finish. Bnei Herzliya trailed Hapoel HaEmek by as many as 12 points in the fourth quarter before staging a stunning comeback, outscoring HaEmek 14–2 in the final four minutes. Chinanu Onuaku scored the go-ahead basket with approximately five seconds remaining, and HaEmek's Kyler Edwards missed a three-pointer at the buzzer, sealing Herzliya's 92–90 victory.[8] Onuaku finished with 27 points and 10 rebounds.[8] Herzliya entered the final riding a nine-game winning streak across all competitions.[9]

Maccabi Tel Aviv and Bnei Herzliya met in the final on 19 February 2026 at Menora Mivtachim Arena. Maccabi fell behind 0–3 at the very start but quickly seized control, building a double-digit lead early in the second quarter and never relinquishing it.[2] By halftime, Maccabi led 59–39, a margin that reflected Roman Sorkin's dominant first-half scoring.[1][9]

Sorkin finished as Maccabi's leading scorer with 25 points, Jaylen Hoard added 20, and Tamir Blatt contributed 14 points and eight assists.[1] One statistical detail underscored Maccabi's dominance: the club attempted 26 free throws to Herzliya's six, a disparity highlighted in postgame accounts.[2] For Bnei Herzliya, Chinanu Onuaku led with 16 points and eight rebounds, while Noah Carter added 15.[1][2]

The final score was 109–90, giving Maccabi its 47th State Cup title.[1][2]

The victory was Maccabi's first trophy of the 2025/26 season and its second consecutive State Cup.[2] Kattash called the successful run “not an easy journey” and said the team's emphasis on defense in the preceding days had helped most of its game plan work.[1] Orland said the game had gotten out of hand quickly and described Herzliya's reaction as mixed: pride in its season alongside disappointment at losing the final.[1]

Postgame reports by The Jerusalem Post and Ynet recorded the final as 109–90.[1][2] Sport5's own final report gave the same result.[9] Its live blog included a 107–80 score update at 22:42, before a 23:00 entry declared Maccabi the cup winner; the earlier figure was an in-game score rather than a conflicting final result.[10]