Maccabi Fox Tel Aviv will host Hapoel Gilboa/Galil on Saturday evening in Menorah Mivtachim Arena as part of the Israeli basketball league (20:00, live on Sport5 - channel 55). The Yellow & Blue lead the local league holding 18 wins as opposed to one loss as they've won all domestic home league games this season. 

After Scottie Wilbekin hit the deciding shot that beat Olympiacos 71:70 on Thursday night, Giannis Sfairopoulos's squad has less than 48 hours to prepare for this contest. In the past meeting between the clubs, Maccabi came into Gan Ner short-handed as all squad members fought their way to a 112:110 victory in double overtime. Scottie Wilbekin nailed 35 points while Jake Cohen added 33 points.

Lior Lubin's top performers this season are their three foreigners: Justin Tillman, who'll miss the contest, Jarmar Gulley, who's averaging 20.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 2 steals and Edgar Sosa 16.5 points and 4.3 assists. Iftach Ziv leads the Israeli bunch, contributing 10 points, 3 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and the youngster Netanel Artzi.

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Forty-eight hours after the dramatic victory over Olympiacos and before the double EuroLeague clash, Maccabi Fox Tel Aviv preserved the lead on top of the Israeli league, beating Hapoel Gilboa/Galil 99:76. Next week, The Israeli champions will head on the road to match up against Hapoel Jerusalem, not before they face Anadolu Efes at home and Red Star Belgrade in Serbia.

Maccabi opened the game with Scottie Wilbekin, Yovel Zoosman, Deni Avdija, Quincy Acy, and Othello Hunter in the starting five. Hunter put the hosts on the board, while Acy and Wilbekin hit shots from deep that gave a 11:6 advantage. Avdija took the command scoring 4 points while adding to that two assists helping the Yellow & Blue open a double-digit lead, 20:9. Edgar Sosa tried to keep the northern squad within striking distance, but Jake Cohen and Tyler Dorsey preserved the lead scoring all of Maccabi's points in the final minutes, 30:18 after 10 minutes.

The hosts kept on striking from deep while on the other end, Iftach Ziv put the visitors on his back, scoring all of their points in the first 3 minutes of the period, 36:22. Amar'e Stoudemire, Avdija, and Cohen led the Yellow & Blue to 21 point advantage as Ido Fleischer closed the half with three consecutive points, 53:35.



Jackson got into an offensive groove scoring a three-point play while Michael Young and Fleischer reduced the lead down to 19, 64:45. Ziv and Jarvis Varnado cut the advantage to 15, but Cohen and Stoudemire scored 8 consecutive points that gave Maccabi a 76:55 lead, going into the final period. 

Throughout the fourth, Giannis Sfairopoulos's squad defended the 20 point advantage putting the game out of reach early. Maccabi overpowers Gilboa/Galil 99:76 on its way to their 19th win this season in the domestic league.

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