MOSCOW - The moment of truth nears: After a week jam-packed with interviews, analysis, and wild guesses, reigning European Champion Maccabi Tel Aviv is set to meet Greek club Panathinaikos in Friday’s Euroleague semi-final.
European Champs
Basketball powerhouse draws fire / By Itay Shenkman and Yigal Walt
Local officials say longtime champion Maccabi Tel Aviv “too good” for Israeli league
As expected, the game is arousing huge interest in Israel, where Maccabi’s international success has propelled it to the status of “the nation’s team.” Some 3,500 Israeli fans have traveled to Moscow to cheer on their heroes, while hundreds of thousands are expected to watch the game at home and at bars and pubs across the country.
For Maccabi star Sarunas Jasikevicius, this will be the third straight year in the Final Four. On both previous occasions he emerged victorious, last year with the Israeli champion, and before that with Spanish powerhouse Barcelona.
‘You should be betting on us’
“Winning the Final Four for the third time is harder than winning the lottery,” the Lithuanian star said. “It will be a huge game between two great teams.”
Another Maccabi player who has been to the Final Four on several previous occasions is American-born Derrick Sharp, one of the most popular players on the team.
“It will be a war, but you should be betting on us,” he said.
Maccabi’s biggest obstacle to a repeat performance is host CSKA Moscow, long held to be the favorite to win the championship this year. The intimidating Russian team is favored to beat the Spanish Tao Vitoria in the second semi-final, ahead of what is shaping up to be a final showdown between the two titans that dominated the Euroleague this year.
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