MOSCOW - Reigning champion Maccabi finished on Sunday the first half of the Euroleague basketball finals against Tau Vitoria with a 50-39 lead.
The 7,000 Maccabi fans in Moscow were reinforced by about 2,000 Greek fans who came to cheer Greek Panathinaikos, but agreed to cheer on Maccabi after their own team lost to Maccabi on Friday.
It was only on Friday that fans of the two teams seemed as if they were each other's sworn enemies, as each competed for a single ticket to Sunday's finale.
Perhaps it is the Mediterranean blood flowing through the veins of both Israelis and Greeks, but the two fan groups were expected to work together in Moscow's Olympiysky Arena, where the game is taking place.
At least in terms of fans, Maccabi has already won the game; surprise Spanish team Tau Vitoria had about 1,000 fans on hand.
Maccabi's stars preparing
Players of still-reigning European champion Maccabi Tel Aviv spent the day practicing their shots, eating and resting.
Maceo Baston, one of Maccabi's star forwards, who played exceptionally well in the semifinal against the Greek team, promised players will fight hard.
"We will all give everything we have. This is the last game and players will even give blood on the court to win," Baston said. "The crowd against Panathanaikos will be the same as it was in last season's finals. We felt at home and this is our advantage in the final."
Baston said he believes a Maccabi dynasty may be in the making.
"I feel as if a dynasty is being created, one that I would want to tell my kids about in the future. I think I will be part of this dynasty in the next two years," he said.
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