Defying most prognosticators, underdog Maccabi Tel Aviv won its sixth European basketball title on Sunday, with 98-86 upset victory over Real Madrid at the Mediolanum Forum in Milan.
Recent portrait of Aulcie Perry, a retired American-Israeli basketball player who led Maccabi Tel Aviv to two European championships during his nine seasons with the team. (Photo: Moshe Shai/FLASH90)
After the final buzzer sounded, Maccabi Tel Aviv players and coaches celebrated on the basketball court while the more than 9,000 Maccabi fans who made the trip to Milan cheered on ecstatically in the stands.
Back in Tel Aviv, the victory set off festive revelry in the streets, with thousands of people filling Rabin Square. During the game, bars throughout the city were packed with fans watching the action on large screens.
Both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres called Maccabi coach David Blatt on Sunday night to congratulate him on the championship win.
Netanyahu: Maccabi Tel Aviv ‘did it big time’
“You did it big time,” Netanyahu said to Blatt. “We have always been on the map, but you kept us on the map in such an impressive way. The people of Israel are lighting bonfires today [for Lag B’omer], but you set the court on fire in Milan. We are all proud of you. You did wonderful work.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calls the Maccabi Tel Aviv team coach to congratulate the team on winning the Euro League Cup on Sunday. (Photo: Amos Ben Gershom/Flash 90)
Peres, who is 90, joked that the game had almost given him a heart attack.
“The whole country is yellow tonight,” Peres said. “The team fought like lions and won. It was amazing. Congratulations Maccabi — Israel is proud of you.”
Guard Tyrese Rice led Maccabi with 26 points, 21 of which came in the fourth quarter and overtime. Rice, who hit the game-winning shot in Maccabi’s semifinal victory over CSKA Moscow on Friday, was named the MVP of the 2014 Euroleague Final Four.
Other top scorers for Maccabi on Sunday were Ricky Hickman (18 points), Devin Smith (15 points), David Blu (14 points) and Alex Tyus (12 points). Tyus led Maccabi in rebounds, with 11.
After a tight first quarter, Maccabi fell behind Real Madrid by as many as 11 points in the second quarter, but a three-pointer by Blu just before the halftime buzzer narrowed the gap to two.
The third quarter saw the lead change ten times, but Real Madrid maintained a two-point advantage heading into the fourth quarter.<
Maccabi Tel Aviv Takes Lead in Overtime
Maccabi held a four-point lead with less than a minute left in the fourth quarter, but Real Madrid rallied to even the score, 73-73, sending the game into overtime.
Thousands of Maccabi Tel Aviv fans celebrated at Rabin Square in Tel Aviv on Sunday night. (Photo: Amir Levy/Flash90)
The lead changed four times early in overtime before Maccabi built separation with a 7-0 run that put the game out of reach for Real Madrid.
The Maccabi plane is scheduled to land at Ben-Gurion International Airport on Monday afternoon and an official championship celebration will be held in Rabin Square on Monday evening.
Maccabi previously won the European title in 1977, 1981, 2001, 2004 and 2005.
This article is taken from Israel Hayom.