Maccabi improves to 15-1 by tripping up Gilboa/Galil

For the time being, Maccabi is more than happy to cruise in the BSL and focusing on its Euroleague campaign.

By ALLON SINAI
Maccabi Tel Aviv’s complete domination of the BSL continued on Sunday night with a 93-81 victory over Hapoel Gilboa/Galil.
The final margin of victory does not do Maccabi justice, with the yellow-and-blue opening an 18-point halftime lead before sailing to another ridiculously easy victory in the second half.
In 16 league games this season, Maccabi has lost just once, winning 15 times by an average 18.7 points per game. All but three of its 15 wins to date have come by double-figures and at the moment it is difficult to see which team will be able to threaten Tel Aviv in the Final Four.
For the time being, Maccabi is more than happy to cruise in the BSL and focusing on its Euroleague campaign.
After securing its place in the quarterfinals last week, Tel Aviv visits Real Madrid on Thursday in a battle for home-court advantage in the upcoming best-of-five playoff series.
Doron Perkins led Maccabi with 26 points in 23 minutes on Sunday, with Alan Anderson adding 17 points.
Guni Izraeli had 18 points for Gilboa, which has lost four of its last five games after beginning the season with a 9-2 record.
Also Sunday, Maccabi Rishon Lezion snapped its four-game losing streak with a 93-74 victory over the in-form Hapoel Holon. Hapoel Afula beat Ironi Ramat Gan 101-80 in a relegation battle, with Ironi Ashkelon defeating Ironi Nahariya 85-74.
On Monday, Maccabi Haifa hosts Bnei Hasharon and its new signing P.J. Tucker, who led Holon to the league title in the 2007/08 season.
At the Nokia Arena, Maccabi seemed to be toying with Gilboa and led by just one point (31-30) after Izraeli’s three-pointer midway through the second period.
However, Tel Aviv scored 24 points to Gilboa’s seven in the remaining five minutes of the half, opening a 55-37 lead it was never in any danger of losing.
Holon entered Sunday’s game in Rishon on the back of two impressive victories over Hapoel Jerusalem and Maccabi Haifa.
However, Rishon led 25-4 after 10 minutes and dominated the remainder of the encounter.
Larry O’Bannon led five Rishon players in double-figures with 23 points and seven rebounds. Meir Tapiro had 15 points and 12 assists, while Antonio Graves led Holon with 15 points.
Ashkelon strengthened its position in the top eight after leading throughout its encounter against Nahariya and holding off a late comeback.
Omar Sneed scored 27 points and grabbed eight boards for the victors, with Adam Ballinger scoring 26 for Nahariya.
After losing in seven of its last eight games, Hapoel Afula recorded arare win on Sunday against fellow-struggler Ironi Ramat Gan.
A tight first three quarters ended in a one-point Afula lead (67-66),but the hosts would outscore Ramat Gan 34-14 in the final 10 minutes ontheir way to a much needed victory.