Maccabi Electra Tel-Aviv - took 2nd place (11-3) in Group B, then took 1st place (4-2) in Group F of Top 16, lost to CSKA Moscow 77-91 in the Final (!!!)
Player of the Year -
Steve Burtt (185-G-84, college:
Iona)
of Eldan Ashkelon Guard of the Year -
Steve Burtt (185-G-84) of Eldan Ashkelon Most Valuable Player -Jermaine Hall (196-F-80, college:
Wagner) Forward of the Year -
Terence Morris (206-F-79) of Maccabi Elite Tel-Aviv Center of the Year -
Otis Hill (203-C-74) of Iscar Nahariya Newcomer of the Year -
Nir Cohen (202-F/C-81) of Maccabi Ironi Ramat Gan Most Improved Player of the Year -
Yuval Neimi (187-G-85) of Eldan Ashkelon Bosman Player of the Year -
Juan Mendez (202-F-81) of Maccabi Rishon Le-Zion Import Player of the Year -
Steve Burtt (185-G-84) of Eldan Ashkelon Domestic Player of the Year -
Meir Tapiro (194-G-75) of Bnei Hasharon Defensive Player of the Year -
Terence Morris (206-F-79) of Maccabi Elite Tel-Aviv Coach of the Year -
Miki Dorsman of Hapoel Holon
1st Team Steve Burtt (185-G-84) of Eldan Ashkelon P.J. Tucker (196-F-85) of Hapoel Holon Terence Morris (206-F-79) of Maccabi Elite Tel-Aviv Jamie Arnold (203-F-75) of Hapoel Migdal Jerusalem Otis Hill (203-C-74) of Iscar Nahariya
2nd Team Meir Tapiro (194-G-75) of Bnei Hasharon Yogev Ohayon (189-G-87) of Hapoel Galil Elyon Brian Tolbert (188-G-74) of Maccabi Ironi Ramat Gan Marcus Fizer (203-F-78) of Maccabi Elite Tel-Aviv Ndudi Ebi (206-F-84) of Bnei Hasharon
Honorable Mention Ori Ichaki (196-G-81) of Maccabi Ironi Ramat Gan Elton Brown (206-F/C-83) of Hapoel Holon Eric Campbell (199-F-76) of Hapoel Holon Chester Simmons (198-G-82) of Hapoel Holon Jason Williams (196-G/F-83) of Bnei Hasharon Yotam Halperin (196-G-84) of Maccabi Elite Tel-Aviv Omri Casspi (204-F/G-88) of Maccabi Elite Tel-Aviv Omar Sneed (203-F/C-76) of Maccabi Rishon Le-Zion Guy Pniny (201-F-83) of Hapoel Migdal Jerusalem Timmy Bowers (188-G-82) of Hapoel Migdal Jerusalem Tunji Awojobi (201-F-73) of Gilboa/Afula/Migdal Haemek
All-Domestic Players Team Yogev Ohayon (189-G-87) of Hapoel Galil Elyon Meir Tapiro (194-G-75) of Bnei Hasharon Omri Casspi (204-F/G-88) of Maccabi Elite Tel-Aviv Gil Mosinzon (200-F/G-78) of Hapoel Galil Elyon Erez Markovic (208-C-78) of Hapoel Migdal Jerusalem
All-Imports Team Steve Burtt (185-G-84) of Eldan Ashkelon P.J. Tucker (196-F-85) of Hapoel Holon Marcus Fizer (203-F-78) of Maccabi Elite Tel-Aviv Terence Morris (206-F-79) of Maccabi Elite Tel-Aviv Otis Hill (203-C-74) of Iscar Nahariya
All-Newcomers Team Nir Cohen (202-F/C-81) of Maccabi Ironi Ramat Gan Dagan Yavzuri (193-G-85) of Gilboa/Afula/Migdal Haemek Sheer Lavi (204-C-87) of Gilboa/Afula/Migdal Haemek Tal Michael Dunne (197-G/F-87) of Maccabi Rishon Le-Zion Amit Shimon (197-G-89) of Maccabi Ironi Ramat Gan
After
14 seasons of Maccabi Tel Aviv dominance, Israeli basketball has a new
champion
Malik Dixon's (187-G-75, college: UALR)
basket with 2.3 seconds to play in the Final Four title game on Thursday
night gave Hapoel Holon a 73-72 victory over Maccabi Tel Aviv at the
Nokia Arena.
Maccabi had claimed the last 14 Israeli championships and 37 of the last
38 titles entering into Thursday's game, but Holon, which finished the
regular season in first position, believed all along it could get the
better of Tel Aviv and edged the reigning champion in a gripping final.
P.J. Tucker (196-F-85, agency:
CAA Sports, college:
Texas), the BSL's MVP, led Holon with 18 points, with Dixon adding
10 points. Terence Morris (206-F-79, college:
Maryland) scored 20 points for Maccabi, which finishes the season
empty handed.
Both teams were firing on all cylinders right from the start and it was
clear that the capacity crowd at the Nokia Arena was in for an
enthralling encounter.
A
Yotam Halperin (196-G-84, agency:
Arik Krayn Services) triple after two minutes gave Tel Aviv a 10-5
lead and
Omri Casspi's (204-F/G-88, agency:
Interperformances) lay-up soon after extended the margin to six
points (14-8), Maccabi's biggest of the first 20 minutes.
It would, however, not be long before Holon was back on level terms once
more, with Maccabi paying the price for failing to stop Hapoel's
offensive rebounding.
A
Derrick Sharp (183-G-71, college:
S.Florida) triple to end the first quarter made sure the score was
tied at the start of the second period (23-23) and a Morris dunk soon
after regained the lead for Sherf's men (27-25).
The lead would go on to change hands numerous times in the final three
minutes of the first half, with each side edging in front by the
smallest of margins each time, and two
Alex Garcia (191-G-80, agency:
Interperformances) free throws gave Tel Aviv a 38-37 advantage at
the break.
Maccabi looked sharper during the early stages of the second half and
Halperin's three extended the gap to 46-41.
Another Halperin basket midway through the quarter gave Tel Aviv its
first significant margin of the night (50-43), but Holon was far from
done and Dixon's crazy triple with just over a minute to play in the
period brought the side back within four points (53-49). Avishay Gordon's (192-G-77, agency:
Arik Krayn Services) basket from beyond the arc at the beginning of
the final period brought Hapoel to within one possession (58-55), but
David Bluthenthal (201-F-80, college:
USC)
immediately hit a three for Maccabi, regaining its cushion.
Tel Aviv was starting to look like the likelier winner as time wound
down, but Hapoel never gave up and
Chester Simmons' (198-G-82, college:
Washington) lay-up at the end of a Holon fast-break edged the
regular season leader ever closer (65-61) and two Tucker free throws
with two-and-a-half minutes to play tied the score at 67-67.
Maccabi was in complete disarray and with one-and-a-half minutes
remaining, Holon retook the lead. Dixon's three point play gave Hapoel a
70-67 advantage, but the American guard would hand Maccabi a lifeline
seconds later when he turned over the ball, allowing Bluthenthal to tie
the score from the free-throw line (70-70).
Tucker scored just one of two from the line with 22 seconds to play and
Nikola Vujcic (211-C-78, agency:
Interperformances) put Maccabi back ahead with 6.5 seconds to play.
Maccabi's reign would, however, end in the subsequent seconds as Dixon
floated to the winning basket to clinch the championship.
Courtesy of Jerusalem Post
Hapoel
Jerusalem wins Israeli Cup
Jerusalem - Maccabi
Tel Aviv 93:89
Jerusalem triumphed in the Israeli Cup Final yesterday. The game brought
together the most renowned teams in Israeli basketball as Jerusalem took
on Maccabi Tel Aviv. It became the second straight cup title for
Jerusalem. It never looked like the one though in the first three
quarters of the encounter. Maccabi controlled the tempo and dominated
every facet of the game. Maccabi used a couple of three-pointers from
Vonteego Cummings (192-G-76, college:
Pittsburgh) early in the game to grab a 25:14 lead after the opening
frame. Jerusalem struggled defensively and soon
Dror Hagag (178-G-78, agency:
Avi Zilberman) registered his fourth foul to be sidelined as Maccabi
kept on piling up the lead.
Sharon Shason (206-F-79, agency:
Arik Krayn Services) however sweetened the pill for Jerusalem late
in the second period coming up with a trey to make it 39:50 at halftime.
Maccabi never stopped after the intermission as they went red-hot from
beyond the arc and quickly accumulated a 22-point advantage with 3
minutes remaining in the frame. Jerusalem switched to a full-court press
to cut the deficit to 18 points after 30 minutes. It all started to work
for Hapoel in the final stanza. Maccabi simply lost the touch and seemed
suddenly too weary to fight. Jerusalem notched 14 points in a row to
open the final term and then went for more. Another massive rally from
Hapoel saw them claim a 5-point lead. Maccabi looked stunned and lost
the touch. Nevertheless they had a chance to save the game as
Will Bynum (180-G-83, agency:
Priority Sports, college:
Georgia Tech) netted 6 points late in regulation to put Maccabi back
within a single point from Jerusalem. But it did not work out as
Jamie Arnold (203-F-75, agency:
Avi Zilberman, college:
Wichita St.) was deadly from free throw line sealing a sizzling
victory for Jerusalem. Jamie Arnold finished with 29 points and 10 boards to lead
Jerusalem.
Timmy Bowers (188-G-82, college:
Mississippi St.) added 19 points, while
Sharon Shason contributed 15 points for the winners.
Marcus Fizer (203-F-78, college:
Iowa St.) and
Vonteego Cummings answered with 16 points apiece for Maccabi.
Omri Casspi (204-F/G-88, agency:
Interperformances) had 13 points in a losing effort.
Eurobasket.com
All-Israeli League Awards 2007-08
