Maccabi Tel Aviv — Hapoel Jerusalem: 88:71, League Cup

Maccabi Tel-Aviv saw off Hapoel Jerusalem 88 to 71 in the League Cup on Sunday. The hosts stayed competitive against the table-toppers and kept their campaign moving forward. To be fair, the visitors had been the stronger side all season before this fixture.

Maccabi found their rhythm early and didn't let up. They made seven more three-pointers than Hapoel, which shifts the arithmetic quickly. And here's the thing — when you're hitting from distance at that rate, the defence starts chasing shadows. The crowd roared them on through the quarters.

We'd given Maccabi a 66 per cent chance of victory before the game, and they delivered on that assessment. Not by outplaying Hapoel in every area, but by finding the right spot at the right time. Things came to a head when Hapoel couldn't match the volume of shots from deep.

The numbers tell a story of different approaches. Hapoel won the rebound battle 37 to 19, which meant they got more second chances. But Maccabi shot 30 from 60 in the field while Hapoel managed 23 from 57. Turnovers told another tale — nine for the hosts against eighteen for the visitors.

Hapoel remain top of the table after three games, though the gap has narrowed with Maccabi back in the mix. Both sides have won every game they've played so far. By then, the standings were going to look different regardless.

What matters now is whether Maccabi can carry this momentum. They've shown they can compete with the best when the pieces fall into place.