Basketball / Super League / Brenner stings Jerusalem again

Barak Netanya rallied in the closing minutes to defeat Hapoel Jerusalem 74-72, completing a three-game sweep this season with its second win at Malha. As previously, Shmulik Brenner made the winning shot, but the real winners were Danilo Pinnock and coach Arik Alfasi.

Pinnock played splendidly and unselfishly, dishing off the winning assist to Brenner when he could have tried for Netanya's final shot with six seconds to go.

Alfasi outmaneuvered Jerusalem coach Guy Goodes down the stretch. Pinnock had shaved Jerusalem's 12-point lead to three, but Jerusalem pushed its advantage to 69-60 with five minutes to go. Alfasi made adjustments on defense, and Marco Killingsworth woke up on offense to spur a 11-1 run to give Netanya its first lead of the half.

Jerusalem immediately went back ahead, but Netanya tied on a free throw before getting the ball back with less than 30 seconds to go, setting the scene for Pinnock's assist to Brenner with 5.9 ticks.

"We have a big heart, but we support each other," Brenner told the Israeli sports cable channel in English after the game so Pinnock could understand. "I was expecting him to shoot. This is huge - it was a great play."