Amar'e Stoudemire leads Maccabi Tel Aviv to Israeli basketball league title

JERUSALEM -- Maccabi Tel Aviv won the Israeli Premier League championship for the 54th time on Tuesday, after defeating Maccabi Rishon Lezion 86-81 in the Final Four final.

Former NBA star, Amar'e Stoudemire, nominated for Final Four MVP, scored a team-high 18 points, along with 7 rebounds.

His teammates, Othello Hunter and Sandy Cohen added 16 points each.

D'Angelo Harrison led Rishon Lezion scorers with 38 points.

The game, held behind closed doors at Menorah Mivtachim Arena in the coastal city of Tel Aviv, was opened strongly by Maccabi Tel Aviv, gradually creating a 20-point lead towards the end of the first half, which ended at 54-36.

This was thanks to scoring contributions by Tyler Dorsey, Sandy Cohen and Hunter, as well as rebounds and assists by Deni Avdija.

Rishon reduced the gap to 46-58 in the 26th minute, then points by Harrison cut the gap to just 8, with the third quarter ending 69-59 in favor of Tel Aviv.

Rishon cut the gap even further, to 70-75 in the 34th minute, and to 73-77 with 2:23 minutes to go.

Harrison brought Rishon as close as possible, to 81-82, from the line, with 55 seconds on the clock.

However, Stoudemire and Scottie Wilbekin scored from the line, securing Tel Aviv's win and the title.

Maccabi Tel Aviv, coached by the Greek Ioannis Sfairopoulos, qualified for the final after defeating Hapoel Gilboa Galil in the semifinals, while Rishon Lezion surprised Hapoel Jerusalem.