And then there were 8. Congratulations to everyone that made it this far and thanks to everyone who signed up and popped out this season. It's been really competitive this season, even coming down to last week where we saw some upsets in Week 1, making my job that much harder and my credibility lower. This week there will be 4 games and each team thats left is looking for just 3 more Ws, starting tonight of course.

Jerusalem - Gaza:

First team with an upset in week 1 is Jerusalem, knocking off Areeha in typical Abbassi fashion. These guys are proven competitors and anyone who thinks to take them lightly will be in for a harsh reality. They come with a gameplan every week and do their homework and they are built in a way where they can really slow the ball down and play at the pace they'd like. Ali Sufian has been great in the post and Brandon Landfair has added support down low and with off ball action to give this team options. So, heart of a lion and enough scoring options to score throughout the game. Sounds like they belong here. On the other side, we have Gaza, who as I've mentioned has really looked like the team to beat throughout the season, if their record doesn't portray that to the fullest. The 1-2 punch of Farhad and Michael K is the engine for this team, but its not like they have no one else to step up. There are seasoned vets all the way down the roster and definitely a lot of size to make people uncomfortable. Question in this one would be is Gaza too predictable and if Jerusalem is ready to plan for what they predict to happen, can they do enough anyway to stop Gaza from getting what it wants. Jerusalem will have a fresh, smooth approach to offense and Gaza will just push the action and try to force their way through the opposition. I'd usually go with the more well-planned effort, but I'm sticking with the favorites in this one.

Gaza by 5


Yaffa - Beit Jala:

Both of these teams almost didn't end up here due to some late-game issues with closing the game out. Nevertheless, this is the matchup we have and boy are both sides happy to be in this situation. Beit Jala wants long awaited revenge. Yaffa has a reputation to uphold and is looking to defend the throne. I think this game is just going to come down to who comes in with a better advantage. Yaffa does have the size advantage here, but Beit Jala has the chemistry and has been more proven in all situations throughout the season, with only one loss by two. Although Beit Jala may have had some softer matchups in the regular season, I still believe they have the record they do for a reason. This is an important game for everyone involved and it will show on the court at 7:30 PM. May the best team win

Yaffa cuz its always Yaffa in my predictions


Nablus - Isdud:

Look back this season at my predictions and see the high praise I have given both of these teams. Both with losing records yet both are here in the quarterfinals, and in my opinion, rightfully so. Both teams also beat squads that many thought were guaranteed semifinalists, specifically Nablus knocking off Sabra, who was a top 5 team all season. I wasn't able to catch the game but looks like a masterclass performance from Adeeb and great complementary play and shooting from Hamza Abdelghani, Splash version 2. Isdud completely dismantled Haifa and without Mo Abdelhadi, that team stood little chance in my opinion. This team has a great IQ and shooting at all positions. They also have stars they can rely on offensively. I think this game is in Nablus's hands. Can they replicate the performance from last week and earlier this season when they defeated this same Isdud team. On the other hand, this new energy and ability from Isdud is scary and they've scored over 70 points in all their games during their win streak, adding a few blowouts along the way. I really like both these squads and its hard for me to choose between the two. I will go with Isdud because I believe they have two bona fide stars while Nablus only has 1.

Isdud by 4


Lod - Bethlehem:

Final game of the week. Boy, oh boy. This is game of the week. These are two teams that now have a lot of history with one another and it's great to see them take it to the MB stage now. From the beginning of the season, I almost felt like these two were destined to see eachother at some point and it looks like our wishes have come true. All I can say is, may the best team win here.

Bethlehem by 2