Hapoel's Dror Hajaj (L) tries to stop Maccabi point guard Will Bynum
Photo: Eli Elgarat
Maccabi Tel Aviv wins its 47th basketball title
Controversial calls, clutch fourth-quarter performance by Tal Burstein help Tel Aviv edge by Hapoel Jerusalem, win 14th straight title
Maccabi Tel Aviv won the national basketball championship for the 47th time Thursday night after beating Hapoel Jerusalem 80:78 in a nail-biting final.
Jerusalem led most of the game, but surrendered to a clutch 4th quarter performance by Tal Burstein (15 points) and a winning basket by Jamie Arnold (10 points) with 2.2 seconds remaining.
Photo: Yoad Cohen
Maccabi, who had a less-than-stellar Euroleague season and was ousted by Bnei Hasharon in the cup semi-finals, entered the fourth quarter down nine, but controversial calls by the officials helped cut Jerusalem’s lead and eventually tie the game 77:77 with 47 seconds to go.
Hapoel’s star center (16 points) Mario Austin drew Nikola Vujcic’s (13 points, 10 rebounds) fifth foul, but made only one free-throw. Maccabi played for the final shot, but Sharon Shason (11 points) missed a three-point attempt. Hapoel’s big men failed to box Arnold out, and Jerusalem’s dream of a first-ever championship title came to a heartbreaking end.
