Omri Casspi hit top form in the NBA, leading the Houston Rockets to a 119-98 victory against Sacramento Kings, his former club.

Houston marketed the match as ‘Israel Day’ in honour of Casspi who rose to the occasion, scoring a season-high 20 points. In the region of 450 Israelis attended the game, 3,000 Israeli flags were handed out and Casspi spoke about Israel at half-time.

He said: "There were a lot of flags given out, and the Jewish community was here supporting us. It’s just great. It warmed my heart and I am happy to play in front of them."

Since joining the Texan outfit last summer, the 6’ 9" 25-year-old forward has averaged 8.2 points per game, still below the average during his first two seasons in the NBA with the Kings, but a major improvement over his two subsequent lacklustre spell with the Cleveland Cavaliers.