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Articles
Maccabi Tel Aviv Tops EuropePosted On 05/07/04
By: Dan Gladman
It would be difficult to imagine a celebration in Israel larger and more festive than the one at Tel Aviv’s Nokia Arena Saturday night. And that was before the 11,000 basketball fans flooded into the city’s streets.
Maccabi Tel Aviv, the heart and soul and dominator of Israeli professional basketball, became the pride of Israel once again, pummeling Skipper Bologna 118-74 in the climax of the annual Euroleague tournament. The tournament pits the best club teams across Europe and the Middle East against one another.
Sarunas Jasikevicius hit a three-pointer in the opening minutes to give Maccabi a 3-2 lead. Any suspense ended there.
Maccabi would never trail again and wowed the raucous audience with offensive creativity and precision, and surprisingly, stifling defence. Mixing man-to-man defence with a matchup zone, Maccabi confused their Italian League opponent into turnovers and difficult shots. Blocked shots were also a factor leading to easy fast break points for Maccabi. David Bluthenthal hit his first six shots off the bench, including a buzzer-beating three-pointer as the first quarter ended, giving Maccabi a 31-13 advantage.
The offensive onslaught would continue into the second quarter. Former Toronto Raptor Maceo Baston took a pass from Israeli national team member Tal Burstein and dunked powerfully. It stretched Maccabi’s first half lead to 21 points, as the yellow-clad Tel Aviv crowd sang and danced throughout. The noise in the arena was deafening from the opening tip. It was not the first time Maccabi Tel Aviv flexed its muscle on the international stage. The team won Euroleague championships in 1977, 1981 and 2001. Maccabi has been champion of the Israeli League an astonishing 43 times in the last 49 years. But what made this victory all the more sweet was the chance to win in front of the hometown fans. It was the first time Israel hosted the Euroleague Championships since 1994.
The 118 points were a Euroleague record for a championship game. The 44-point margin of victory was the largest in Euroleague history. Among 10 records broken by the Tel Aviv side was their magnificent 68% field goal percentage. They made 14 of 23 three-point attempts.
Guard Anthony Parker was named MVP. Among his team-leading 21 points was a thunderous two-handed reverse jam early in the third quarter. It pushed the lead to 28, and sent the crowd’s celebrations into euphoria. Burstein would notch a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Jasikevicius, who was a member of last year’s Euroleague Champion FC Barcelona finished with 18, and Bluthenthal, an American college hero at the University of Southern California, had 20. Skipper Bologna’s Carlos Delfino, who scored 27 in the teamâs semifinal win over Montepaschi Siena on Thursday, was held to six points on 2-10 shooting. The draft pick of the Detroit Pistons was never able to get untracked. Milos Vujanic, whose NBA rights are owned by the Phoenix Suns, scored 21 for Skipper, which was making its first-ever appearance in the Euroleague Final Four.
In the game’s final moments, Maccabi head coach Pini Gershon took off his shirt and tie and slipped into a Maccabi championship T-shirt. The team had carried the weight of Israeli basketball fansâ hopes and dreams on its shoulders and came through in resounding fashion. At times Gershon seemed to be dancing and rejoicing with the crowd throughout the game. Sending players to the NBA every year, the Euroleague has gained notoriety in Europe and North America. This championship for Maccabi was impressive and unforgettable.
The game was broadcast in Canada on Raptors NBA TV. It was the first time the Euroleague championship was carried on North American airwaves.
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