Israel’s champion Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball team split two games with the Soviet Union’s TSKA Moscow team, winning the second last Thursday 87-81 at the European Championship Games played in Deurne, near Antwerp. The Israeli team lost to their Soviet rivals by 12 points the previous night.
The Soviets have always refused to come to Israel to play basketball matches against the local teams, and have not allowed the Israelis to play inside the Soviet Union. Thus the selection of a “neutral” European venue, chosen for both “home” and “away” games.
The Tel Aviv Maccabi team has beaten the Soviet champion team on previous occasions, despite the fact that the Soviet players, some well over six feet tall, tower head and shoulders over most of the Israeli team, including its star players from the United States.
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