Maccabi Tel Aviv looks poised to win its third straight State Cup when it meets Maccabi Rishon Letzion tonight in Nokia Arena in the 57th final of the national basketball competition.
Maccabi struggled through a pair of European and league games last week but had no trouble disposing of Hapoel Holon in Monday's semifinal.
Maccabi Rishon, which is in sixth place in the league, had to fight off a late charge by Habikaa to book its place in the final for the first time since the 1991/92 season, the only other time the team played in the championship game. Rishon fell to Hapoel Galil Elyon that time.
Tel Aviv has defeated Rishon in their last 17 meetings, the second longest streak in the league.
The last time Rishon upended Maccabi Tel Aviv was May 4, 2006. Head-to-head, Tel Aviv coach David Blatt owns Rishon's Effi Birenboim, having beaten him 15 times in a row, the last time losing February 7, 1999, when he was coaching Galil Elyon and Birenboim coached Hapoel Jerusalem.
The two clubs have met nine times in State Cup contests, twice in the semifinals and four times in the quarterfinals. Tel Aviv won every time. Maccabi Tel Aviv's record in the State Cup finals is 38-5. David Blatt is 3-1 in State Cup finals, while Birenboim is 1-4.
Under Blatt, Maccabi Tel Aviv is 16-0, winning by an average of 23.8 points per game.
While Rishon is 8-6 this season, it has yet to lose by more than five points. Rishon lost at home to Tel Aviv in December 76-75.
