Maccabi Juggernaut Hits Toronto

[BOSS]

Toronto Star - They're the New York Yankees, the Montreal Canadiens and the old Boston Celtics all rolled into one. They're as dominant as any basketball team you'll find, a seamless steamroller that has won 45 of 51 Israeli titles and five European championships.

Players who wear the famous blue and yellow of Maccabi Tel Aviv, a team that's in Toronto today to take on the Raptors, say it's an incredible, almost indescribable experience. Asked if he's recognized a lot in Tel Aviv, guard Derrick Sharp nods.

"Driving. Walking. At nighttime. With black shades on. They notice you still. It's amazing over there.

"The fans are what's made the team," Sharp said yesterday before a tightly-guarded Maccabi practice at the Air Canada Centre, one in which security guards were summoned to shoo the media away from their third-deck perch lest they somehow learn a play or two and communicate it to the guys in purple and red. "The fans are the reason we were European champs three of the last five years. And they'll be here tomorrow. The game is just about sold out because there's a big Jewish community here. Everywhere we go, the fans follow."

"We get the VIP treatment," said former Raptor Maeo Baston, who joined Maccabi two years ago but was greeted warmly by Toronto staffers and former teammates yesterday. "It's like we're 15 Michael Jordans over there."

Some observers say Maccabi Tel Aviv has more followers than the Israeli national team. When Maccabi beat Bologna two years ago for the Euro title, more than 250,000 fans sardined themselves into a Tel Aviv park to watch the game on a giant TV screen.

Like the Yankees, Maccabi has been accused of buying championships. Some say it's to the detriment of Israeli basketball. But others say the publicity Maccabi has brought is priceless.

[Its_asdf]

I have a feeling that the Raptors are going to lose this game.

[BOSS]

I have a feeling that the Raptors are going to lose this game.

They lost all there games so far, but like there just preseason but I have a feeling they'll win. Put on a show for the crowd.

[CMinnifield]

Raptors lose! Hahaha, what a joke of a team they are!

[Its_asdf]

Raptors lose! Hahaha, what a joke of a team they are!

Haha, you sure know how to crack a good joke! What a joke you are!

[Kobe101]

Its either the Raptors suck,or the Israeli national team is good.

Maybe we'll see some of players in the NBA?

[Cable]

Some of their players were already in the NBA. They got cut.

Damn, if the Raps can't beat a Euroleague team, how the hell are they going to compete in the NBA. On the plus side, we out-rebounded the other team for the first time in 20 years

[Abctest123]

so who won the game? and anyone have pics or statistics of the game?

[Cable]

Here, have a look for yourself

[BOSS]

Well it's all good. Maccabi iz quite a good squad.

``They played this game like it was their championship game, and rightfully so,'' Rose said. ``Those guys are hungry for NBA jobs.''

I give them props for working there ass off in today's game vs. the raptors. Anthony Parker is one of the best or the best in the Israel league. He had 24 points. Chris Bosh looked impressive too putting up 27 points and 12 rebounds.

Despite Toronto playing its starters most of the way, Anthony Parker's jumper with 0.8 seconds left lifted Israel's premier basketball team over the Raptors 105-103.

``To lose is unacceptable,'' Toronto coach Sam Mitchell said. ``To say, `To lose to a team like that,' would be disrespecting them. ... You have to respect what they've done, you've got to respect their effort.''

You guys can say whatever you want about them Raps but they put up a good game.

[#12]

LMFAO. Raptors do stink...

[Fresh8]

I feel that the Euroleague teams are underrated. As the Raps coach said, 'losing is unacceptable but if u say that we lost to 'this team' that would be disrespectful.' It's sorta saying that the Euro team is bad and you expected them to lose... well, the winner is always the one who wants it mroe and this is a good example of that!

[Amphatoast]

lmao, might as well take the raptors out of the NBA and put this euroleague team in.

[BOSS]

Haha ... but seriously what happened if they played vs. the Hawks, Hornets etc. What if they beat them, we would be sayin the same thing so ye. Maybe they can even beat the Knicks

[Rowan Boatman]

Well, im looking forward to seeing how they go against Orlando

Does anyone know where i can get a boxscore of the raptors game??

[The X]

I guess you're after Kirk Penney's line....I'm thinking he probably wouldn't have played much as it was such a big game....Anthony Parker was huge as expected for Maccabi....anyone who thinks he couldn't be a good 7th or 8th man in the NBA is ridiculous (as some have suggested)....

[magius]

thats just embarassing. especially the quotes from rose. for me, it exposes the fact that bosh is basically just an average player putting up good numbers on a horrendously crap team. for me, the guy just doesnt seem to have franchise player material.... and by franchise player material, i dont mean steve francis, i mean winning franchise player material. soon canada will have zero nba teams.

[Metsis]

The Euros are better than you NBA people think we are... Just look at the couple of the last international competitions.

The American brand of basket ball isn't that all powerful any more. Euros got the team game going and it pays dividens as we speak.

Orlando will fall when Maccabi plays them too... They don't have anyone else except Francis and he isn't all that great either.

American domination in basket ball ended when Carter threw that dunk over Weis... It's been either downhill for the Americans or a major uphill for the Euros since then... I think it's been a little bit of both.

[alexboom]

Mmmh pretty strange... a team lead by 2 players who may be at best good backups in NBA beat a NBA team who used its players as if it was a regular season game.

I can find 2 reasons why Maccabi beat the Raptors:
1) the fact the Maccabi was playing at home give the team more motivation, the Raptors may have been tired by the trip too, and maybe were a bit impressed by all these crazy fans
2) but the biggest reason may be the fact that unlike the Raptors (and some other NBA teams), Maccabi is playing as a team.

[Ty-Land]

I can find 2 reasons why Maccabi beat the Raptors:
1) the fact the Maccabi was playing at home give the team more motivation, the Raptors may have been tired by the trip too, and maybe were a bit impressed by all these crazy fans
2) but the biggest reason may be the fact that unlike the Raptors (and some other NBA teams), Maccabi is playing as a team.

They didn't play in Israel they played in Toronto at the Air Canada Arena or whatever it was called

Playing like a team has been the same reason why the US team has been playing poorly in the last few years. It's all ego's, where the teams made up of less skilled players still manage to beat them as they work together.

[#12]

Orlando will fall when Maccabi plays them too... They don't have anyone else except Francis and he isn't all that great either.

stop being so cocky. Maccabi barely owned the worst team in the NBA

but i do think maccabi can beat Orlando, because Orlando doesnt play as a team as much as Maccabi

[BOSS]

Orlando will fall when Maccabi plays them too... They don't have anyone else except Francis and he isn't all that great either.

stop being so cocky. Maccabi barely owned the worst team in the NBA

but i do think maccabi can beat Orlando, because Orlando doesnt play as a team as much as Maccabi

JUST Steve Francis ? How bout Dwight Howard and Grant Hill ?

But ye I give Maccabi props with the win. I wanna see the boxscores, I wanna see how many minutes they played ( players )

[Rowan Boatman]

I guess you're after Kirk Penney's line....I'm thinking he probably wouldn't have played much as it was such a big game....Anthony Parker was huge as expected for Maccabi....anyone who thinks he couldn't be a good 7th or 8th man in the NBA is ridiculous (as some have suggested)....

I know the scoring etc from the Maccabi site i just wanted to get the minutes and stats etc of all the players from the game

[Cable]

Raps official site, look there for a boxscore

[BOSS]

Raps official site, look there for a boxscore

Ye I been lookin tehre everyday but no boxscores