Maccabi Tel Aviv downed Hapoel Jerusalem 101-80 in the Israeli Classico at Yad Eliyahu. The Yellow & Blue dominated the game from the get go as Scottie Wilbekin and Ante Zizic both scored at will while they also controlled the boards outrebounding Jerusalem to the tune of 50-24 in the blowout victory. In addition to falling to Maccabi, the Reds also may have also lost Tamir Blatt to a knee injury which will be examined on Friday. The guard needed to be carried off by his teammates with just 34 seconds left in the game.

Wilbekin scored 29 points going 8/13 from beyond the arc, Zizic dropped 21 points and Elijah Bryant scored 17 points in the win. Blatt led Jerusalem with 21 points and Suleiman Braimoh added 15 points in the defeat.

Ante Zizic scored a pair in the paint while Scottie Wilbekin hit two from downtown for Maccabi Tel Aviv, but Tamir Blatt went from deep and Suleiman Braimoh controlled the inside as Hapoel Jerusalem led 13-12 midway through the first quarter. Omri Casspi checked in and scored immediately, Zizic put in a rebound and Dragan Bender turned his defender inside out as the Yellow & Blue grabbed an early 24-18 lead.

Zizic once again bulldozed his way inside, Elijah Bryant finished off a 3-point play and Yovel Zoosman nailed a triple forcing Jerusalem coach Oded Katash to call timeout down 34-24 with 7:44 remaining in the second quarter. Adam Ariel scored on the baseline and Malcolm Hill cleaned up a rebound, but Wilbekin scored a 3-pointer and Bryant found points in the paint as Ioannis Sfairopoulos’s team stayed in front 41-31 with five minutes to go until halftime. Zizic bumped up his point total to 14 on the night, while at the other end Tashawn Thomas, Jamil Wilson and Blatt scored but Wilbekin quickly quelled the storm with two triples and points off the backboard to give Maccabi a 55-43 advantage at halftime.

Bender began the third quarter with a thundering dunk, Zoosman scored a layup, Bryant hit a pair of triples as Wilson answered with one of his own but Maccabi stayed in front 68-51 midway through the frame. Wilbekin went for a four point play and Casspi scored in the paint while Jerusalem tried to keep pace with triples by Ariel and Blatt but it wasn’t enough to close the gap as the Yellow & Blue led 81-66 after thirty minutes.

Hill looked to chip away at the Maccabi lead with a 3-pointer but John Dibartolomeo immediately scored one at the other end while Oz Blayzer did the same as well to keep the score at 87-73 with 6:32 left in the fourth quarter. Hill put in points off the baseline and Blatt nailed a floater but Zizic put in points and Wilbekin scored his 8th triple of the game as Maccabi ran away with the 101-80 win.

In other action, Nes Ziona slipped by Maccabi Haifa 80-76 as Brad Greenberg’s squad picked up their second win this week while the Greens sit in last place with a 1-9 record. Braian Angola led the way with 25 points, Tal Dunne came close to a triple-double with 18 points, 11 rebounds and 8 assists, and Patrick Miller scored 17 points in the win. Michael Brisker scored 19 points and Rigberto Mendoza chipped in with 16 points in the loss.