The gap in talent between the top two clubs of last season's Super League remains as wide as ever. Haifa struggled mightily to contain Tel Aviv's explosive offense, nor could it contend with its strong perimeter shooting. Much like during their losing effort against Siena last week, the Israeli champions appeared hesitant in the opening minutes. Their sloppy play on offense prompted head coach Pini Gershon to look toward his bench early, substituting the slumping Chuck Eidson. His replacement, Raviv Limonad, made an immediate impact, converting on a field goal while drawing a foul on Haifa.

Tel Aviv threatened to run away with the game in the first quarter, but Maccabi Haifa's Davon Jefferson was active in the paint, scoring from closer range to keep the road team within striking distance. The first quarter ended with Maccabi Tel Aviv holding a 20-16 edge.

It was in the second quarter that the Men in Yellow proved too much. Two quick three-point bombs from David Bluthenthal set off an exhibition of outside shooting, which could not be countered by Maccabi Haifa. By half-time, the Tel Aviv lead had grown to 53-38.

The closest that Maccabi Haifa came to threatening the home team was in the third quarter, when they whittled a 17-point lead down to 10 after a wild half-court shot by Richard Roby at the buzzer.

By the fourth quarter, any hopes that Maccabi Haifa harbored of mounting a comeback were extinguished by Eidson, whose dribble penetration simply carved up the Green Machine's defense. In the blink of an eye, the home team had regained a 20-point lead.

The guard finished the game with an impressive showing, registering 18 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Doron Perkins added 16 points and seven assists, while Guy Pnini chipped in with 15 points of his own.

D'Or Fischer contributed 14 points and nine rebounds while sharpshooter Bluthenthal added 13 points off the bench. For Haifa, Jason Rich and Robi each led the team with 20 points while big man Ido Kozikaro scored 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.

Maccabi Tel Aviv thus maintains its grip on first place in the Super League, with an improved record of 11-1. Maccabi Haifa, meanwhile, drops to 8-4. Its next league game will be on the road against Maccabi Rishon Letzion.