EUROLEAGUE – Maccabi storm into Final Four with win over Barca

TEL AVIV (Euroleague Final Four) - Maccabi Tel Aviv defeated Barcelona 88-75 on Thursday to clinch the last place on offer for the Euroleague Final Four.

Will Bynum and David Bluthenthal each scored 21 points for the Israeli giants as they wrapped a 2-1 quarter-final series triumph in front of their own fans at the Nokia Arena.

Maccabi, who are in their seventh Final Four in the last nine seasons, will take on Montepaschi Siena in one semi-final in Madrid on May 2 while Tau Ceramica will face CSKA Moscow in the other.

“We fought all season long to host the third game in this case, and Maccabi never loses these kinds of games at home,” said boss Zvi Sherf, who only took over the team in mid-season after the club decided to part with Oded Katash.

Sherf is also the coach of Israel’s national team.

“We saw also last night how important the home-court advantage is,” he added.

“When I took the team on January 1, I told them in the first team meeting before the game in Istanbul that we're aiming to be in the Final Four. We want to take the cup, and we really don't care how.”

FIBA