Israeli Cup Final: February 16, 2012
Keith Langford - Maccabi ElectraMaccabi Electra Tel Aviv routed Maccabi Rishon 82-69 to lift the Israeli Cup for the third season in a row and the 39th time in club history. Keith Langford scored 12 first quarter points to stake Maccabi to a double-digit lead and the yellow-and-blue coasted the rest of the way. Langford finished with 23 points, David Blu and team captain Tal Burstein added 12 apiece and Richard Hendrix tallied 10 points and 9 rebounds for the winners. Joe Crawford led Rishon with 20 points and Derwin Kitchen added 18 in defeat. Langford scored the game’s first 7 points and finished the first quarter with a pull-up triple as Maccabi built a 24-13 lead through 10 minutes. Rishon clawed its way back within 5, but Kitchen committed an unsportsmanlike breakaway foul on Langford in the final minute of the first half and after 2 free throws and a David Blu triple, Maccabi took a 46-34 lead at halftime. Rishon played hard early in the third quarter, but back-to-back threes from Blu eventually extended the difference to 20 before Rishon made 64-48 after three quarters. Rishon valiantly fought back to within 72-61 and then 75-66, but the end result was never in doubt as Maccabi fans began partying long before the final buzzer, celebrations that peaked when Burstein was joined by Lior Eliyahu to receive the Cup from Israeli President Shimon Peres before a sellout crowd at Nokia Arena.


Semifinals
Final
Maccabi Electra
H. Holon
Maccabi Electra (Champion)
vs.
Rishon Lezion
Rishon Lezion
BC Habikaa

Cup Games
Semifinals
Maccabi Electra vs. H. Holon
91-70
Feb. 13
Semifinals
Rishon Lezion vs. BC Habikaa
78-71
Feb. 13
Final
Maccabi Electra vs. Rishon Lezion
82-69
Feb. 16
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Euroleague.net
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