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Israeli Team Defeats Soviets in Historic Moscow Match

January 13, 1989
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The championship Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball team scored a historic triumph Thursday night, as they beat the CSKA Red Army champions on their home court by a score of 97-92.

The contest was the first Israeli athletes have played in the Soviet Union since the USSR severed diplomatic relations with Israel 21 years ago.

The Israeli victory brought Maccabi a step closer to the European Cup Tournament finals. The Russians are eliminated, even if they win their re-match with Maccabi in Tel Aviv next March.

The outcome of the game created euphoria in Israel, where a large part of the population glued itself to their radios and TVs to hear the live broadcast by Israeli sports commentators from the Moscow stadium.

Jews from all over the Soviet Union came to Moscow to attend the game, reports from the Soviet capital said.

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