Maccabi Tel Aviv Dominates Hapoel Tel Aviv to Win Super Cup

Maccabi Tel Aviv secured their first title of the season, the Super Cup, by decisively defeating rival Hapoel Tel Aviv 101-83 on Thursday night at Menora Mivtachim Arena. The victory sets a strong tone for Maccabi's upcoming EuroLeague campaign, which begins the following week. Despite a mixed preseason record of two wins and two losses, Maccabi showcased a dominant performance, with significant contributions from multiple players. Point guard Tamir Blatt was named MVP of the game, scoring 13 points and dishing out 7 assists.

Hapoel Tel Aviv, who had a positive preseason, appeared disorganized and struggled offensively throughout the game. They will need to regroup quickly as they prepare for their own EuroLeague opener next Thursday against Bayern Munich. The game saw Maccabi take an early lead, which they extended to 54-42 by halftime, largely due to a buzzer-beating three-pointer from Blatt. The second half continued Maccabi's dominance, with the team building a lead of up to 27 points by the end of the third quarter.

The final quarter devolved into what is known as garbage time, with some Hapoel fans calling for coach Oded Katash's resignation. Hapoel's Yovel Zoosman was ejected from the game. Ultimately, Maccabi comfortably closed out the game with a 101-83 victory, marking a clear statement of intent for the new season.