Maccabi Haifa Heat 67-Hapoel Jerusalem 66 (16/2/2009)

Haifa remove Jerusalem from the Cup on the way to the Cup Finals

Cup Semi-Finals: A dramatic basket by Moshe Mizrahi 2 seconds to the end of aifa the game has set 66:67 to the Greens against the holder of the cup, sending the Reds home.
The opponent on the Finals: Holon the Champion (179 comments)

By ONE System

February 16, 2009

It was nerve wrecking, it was dramatic, and eventually Maccabi Haifa managed to surprise HaPoel Jerusalem on the Cup Semi-Finals with 66:67 and to rise to the Finals for the first time since 1985.

It wasn’t a great game between the teams, to say the least, but it couldn’t have been more tide.
An incredible three-pointer by Omar Sneed 10 seconds to the end, when it seemed that Jerusalem’s offense got stuck, has granted Jerusalem with a 65:66 lead.

Jerusalem’s bench started celebrating, but it was too early.
Haifa got out on its last offense, Ben David has found Moshe Mizrahi uncovered under the basket, and Mizrahi scored, rising his team to a 66:67 lead along with a foul in his favor 2 seconds to the end.
Mizrahi missed, Jerusalem didn’t manage to get out on offense, and the Cup holder got kicked off.

After rising to the Cup Finals three years in a row, HaPoel Jerusalem will not arrive in the Nokia Arena, nor would it be able to make history, winning the title three years in a row for the first time in the Club’s history.

Haifa will meet Holon on the Finals, on the game between last year’s champion and the team that was called “The New Holon”, since it rose a league with huge expectations for succeeding in the League.