May 24, 2012
Israeli League Final Four, final: May 31, 2007
Derrick Sharp, Maccabi champ Israeli league 2006-07For the 37th time in 38 years - but no doubt one of the most dramatic of all - Maccabi Tel Aviv is the champion of the Isreali League after rallying in the last 90 seconds to defeat archrival Hapoel Jerusalem 78-80 in their single-game final on Thursday night. Playing on its home court, Nokia Arena in Tel Aviv, Maccabi trailed the entire game and was still down by 5 points, 77-72, with just over a minute to play. Tal Burstein's three-pointer and a layup by Will Bynum quickly tied it. After Mario Austin of Hapoel made 1 of 2 free throws, the clock ticked down almost to the buzzer before Jamie Arnold corrected a Burstein miss with the go-ahead inside basket, was fouled and hit the free throw, all with 2.2 seconds left. It was Maccabi's first lead all night, and when Burstein made a steal on Hapoel's last possession, it was good enough for his team's 48th domestic title. Bynum paced Maccabi with 18 points. Burstien followed with 15, Nikola Vujcic with 13, Sharon Shason with 11 and Arnold with 10. Vujcic had 10 rebounds, too. Mario Austin led Hapoel with 16 points and 9 rebounds, Mier Tapiro scored 14 and Horace Jenkins had 13 points. Earlier, Galil Elyon won the game for third place 90-80 over Bnei Hasharon. Jason Williams led Bnei with 31 points while Tre Simmons was top scorer for the winners with 29 points.

Hapoel opened the final with big 2-9 run as the defending champs missed several long.range shots. Maccabi went back to its classic weapon, Vujcic, who scored 5 early points to keep it a close game. On the other side, Tapiro had a big start with 10 points and 2 assists in the first 6 minutes as Hapoel took a 14-19 lead and forced Maccabi to take a timeout after 6 minutes, 30 seconds of play. Hapoel continued to dominate, and took a 15-27 lead at the end of one quarter. Layups by Arnold and Shason for Maccabi forced Hapoel to call its first timeout while still ahead 23-27. Shason with a big offensive rebound and a bucket made it just a two-point game and in the following play Tapiro committed his third foul, which sent Jenkins to the floor for the first time. He was still not enough to break Hapoel's drought of just 3 points in the first 5:30 of the second quarter. Soon enough, however, Jenkins got in the groove with 5 quick points but Vujcic answered with 4 of his own. Dror Hagag and Shason exchanged three-pointers before Tim Bowers ended the half with a tough jumper to keep Hapoel ahead 36-41.

Jamie Arnold - Maccabi EliteOnly one team showed up for the start of the second half. Tapiro and Bowers led Hapoel on a 10-2 run to take a shocking 38-51 lead as Maccabi called for another timeout. Bynum put in 4 quick points, but when Goran Jeretin came off the bench to join him with 5 more, Hapoel needed a timeout with its lead cut to 47-53 after 26 minutes. Hapoel missed too many three-point shots in those minutes, and Burstein showed how its done to make it a three-point game all of a sudden. Guy Pniny stepped up with 5 points in a row to give Hapoel life again. Burstein was on the move for Maccabi but Jenkins scored 5 in a row to let Hapoel enter the last quarter leading 54-63. Burstein and Vujcic carried Maccabi back into the game then, although Hapoel still carried a 65-60 lead with a little over 7 minutes to play. Derrick Sharp hit 3 free throws to cut the difference down again, to 66-70, as the season entered its last 5 minutes. On the next play, Sharp drew Tapiro' s fifth foul, an offensive one, and things started to look uncomfortable for Hapoel. Bynum twice trimmed the difference to 2 points, but Hagag and Jenkins were cool from the line, enough to take Hapoel into the last 2:30 up 70-74. Burstein hit a big bucket but on the next play missed a chance to tie the game. Hapoel climbed to back to a five-point lead, 77-72, but then Burstein hit his huge three-pointer, Vujcic stole the ball and Bynum tied the game for the first time since the opening minute, 77-77, on a fastbreak with 47.6 seconds to go. Austin went to the line and hit just the first of his pair of free throws, leaving Burstien 30 seconds to change the fate of the game. He missed, but Arnold was there for the rebound, and with 2.2 seconds hit the bucket, that gave Maccabi its first lead of the night. He was fouled and added a point from the line to make it 80-78. Burstein stole the last ball and started the sweet yellow celebrations.

ISRAELI LEAGUE: Final Four Finals, single game
RecordTeamGame 1
1Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv (1) - Final80
0Hapoel Migdal Jerusalem (2) - Final78
1Hapoel Galil Elion (4) - 3rd place90
0Bnei Hashron (3) - 3rd place80
Israeli League Champion 2006-07: Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv

Final Four Finals Games
Game 1Hapoel Migdal Jerusalem vs. Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv78-80May 31
Game 1Hapoel Galil Elion vs. Bnei Hashron90-80May 31
Thursday, May 31, 2007
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