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David Blutenthal came off the bench to score 20 points for Maccabi Tel Aviv. (Euroleague)
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| By israelinsider staff May 2, 2004 |
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Israel's premier basketball team devastated the Italian team, Skipper Bologna, 118-74, to win the Euroleague Final Four title game on Saturday night. The game was never in doubt, as the Israelis waltzed to a 25-point halftime lead. The 44-point margin was the largest ever in a European championship game.
It was the 4th time that Maccabi has won the European cup. The team, Israel's perennial basketball champions, won the Euroleague title in 1977 and 1981, and took the SuproLeague championship in 2001.
Some 100,000 Maccabi fans celebrated their team's victory in an all-night party at Tel Aviv's Yarkon Park. The nationally-televised game had been played before more than 10,000 ecstatic spectators at Yad Eliyahu Nokia Arena, and was broadcast on three large screens at the park.
Maccabi's offense and defense overwhelmed the Italian team from the very start of the game. Maccabi raced to a 31-13 lead at the end of the first ten-minute quarter, and by halftime the score was 55-30 in Maccabi's favor. According to the official Euroleague website, Maccabi set 10 separate records in its stunning victory.
Anthony Parker, who scored 21 points for Maccabi, was voted the game's most valuable player. Reserve forward David Bluthenthal came off the bench to score 20, and Lithuanian point guard Sarunas Jasikevicius added 18. Tal Burstein had the game's only double-double, 17 points and 10 rebounds, while playing a total of 36 minutes, more than anyone else on the team.
Players Derrick Sharp, Nikola Vujcic, and Maceo Baston each scored 9 points for Maccabi. With its incredible lead, coach Pini Gershon let some second-stringers onto the court. Also scoring for the champions were Yotam Halperin (7 points); Bruno Sundov (2); captain Gur Shelef (2); and 19-year-old Avi Ben-Chimol (2).
Maccabi made an incredible 71% of its two-point shots (28 for 38) and 61% of its three point shots (14 for 23).
On Thursday night, Maccabi Tel Aviv faces Hapoel Jerusalem, which two weeks ago defeated Real Madrid in Belgium last night to win the ULEB Cup, the second most important European basketball title.
Politics and basketball
"I didn't think it would be so easy," Gershon said after the game. "Everyone's prayers really helped," he said.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon called Gershon to congratulate him on Maccabi's victory, "You fought the battle and you won," Sharon said. "You played wonderfully and brought honor and pride to all of us in Israel."
"Thank you," Gershon replied. "Your work is cut out for you tomorrow," he said to the prime minister, referring to the Likud's referendum on Sharon's disengagement plan. "I hope you have a bigger margin of victory than we did."
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