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Israel's Maccabi defeats Toronto Raptors 105-103
(AP)
Updated: 2005-10-17 15:36
Toronto - Maccabi Tel Aviv beat an NBA team for the first time in 27 years,
topping the Toronto Raptors 105-103 on Sunday on Anthony Parker's jumper with
0.8 seconds left.
Toronto Raptors'
Morris Peterson makes a shot under pressure from Maccabi Tel-Aviv's
Anthony Parker (left) and Yaniv Green during the second half in Toronto
Sunday, Oct. 16, 2005. [AP] | Maccabi, the winner
of 45 of 51 Israeli titles and three of the last five Euroleague championships,
had lost nine straight exhibition games against NBA teams since beating the
then-champion Washington Bullets in 1978.
"This is history," Maccabi center Yaniv Green said. "They are still talking
about (Maccabi's win over the Bullets) and I'm sure 20 years from now, they will
still be talking about this one."
Parker, who played in the NBA for Philadelphia and Orlando, had 24 points,
and Nikola Vujcic added 21 points and 10 rebounds. Chris Bosh had 27 points and
12 rebounds in 45 minutes for Toronto, and Jalen Rose had 18 points in 41
minutes.
"They played this game like it was their championship game, and rightfully
so," Rose said. "Those guys are hungry for NBA jobs. You don't just go to Europe
because you're turning down the NBA, you're going to Europe because you want to
be in the NBA so when you're standing up against a guy in front of you that's is
in the NBA, you want to prove to anybody that's watching that you're
NBA-worthy."
Toronto's loss was just the second by an NBA team in the 28 games held since
the NBA sanctioned international competitions in 1987. The Atlanta Hawks lost to
the Soviet national team 132-123 in 1988.
"To lose is unacceptable," Raptors coach Sam Mitchell said. "To say, `To lose
to a team like that,' would be disrespecting them. I would look like an idiot to
stand up here and disrespect the team that just beat you. You have to respect
what they've done, you've got to respect their effort."
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