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Basketball / Maccabi feels good but is still wary By Vered Cohen Maccabi Tel Aviv is playing a little more relaxed after last week's victory, and players are finally able to have fun in practice. After yesterday's practice ahead of tonight's contest against Le Mans, Marcus Brown and Rodney White played a little one-on-one. "Turnover!" teased Brown after trying to block White, who smiled derisively and then answered by swishing a three-pointer. Despite the feeling of release, Tal Burstein is wary of complacency. "It's the kind of game you need to be careful in," he said yesterday, "because people love to say their rival isn't strong. One win isn't enough for us." Advertisement Le Mans, which is winless in Euroleague competition this year, landed at eight last night and drove straight to practice. "It's an athletic team that is strong in offensive rebounds in an aggressive way," said Maccabi coach Effi Birenboim. "We have to respond to that in timely fashion." Birenboim said the team has gained confidence from its 90-83 victory over Air Avellino, but the more quality minutes the team can build up the more that confidence will grow. Speaking of former Maccabi player David Bluthenthal, Birenboim said the team would have to see where Le Mans positions the swingman, "and we'll have to adjust our defense to him accordingly. He'll want to show as much as possible how much he knows about scoring in Yad Eliahu." After almost completely blowing a big lead last week, Birenboim stressed to his players the subject of rebounding and the transition game. Avellino had eight offensive boards for the game, and second-chance points helped it come back in the fourth quarter from 16 down. "A game can turn upside-down in a matter of seconds," the head coach told his players. Birenboim said after the practice that the team did not get off to a good start, "so I told the players they need to be sharp from the first jump ball." Tre Simmons has worked out extra hours in the weight room to develop his body mass. "We'll show up with the intensity of last week," he said. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Never walk alone It's safe to assume that Obama won't abandon Israel. Apprehensive in Israel Rightist MK Aryeh Eldad warns 'Israel should be wary of Barack Obama'

Read & React Obama kick-starts transition, picks Israeli Rahm Emanuel as chief of staff Responses: 220 World Bank: Palestinian economy could flourish if Israel eased restrictions Responses: 98 Gaza gunman killed in IAF strike, after day of renewed hostilities Responses: 67 PM heads to D.C. to wrangle last favors from Bush Responses: 53 Iran's Ahmadinejad offers congratulations to Obama Responses: 73 More Headlines 02:23 Obama, Olmert agree on need to advance Mideast peace talks 01:12 U.S. Jews laud Obama pick of Rahm Emanuel for chief of staff 22:39 Iran's Ahmadinejad offers congratulations to Obama 01:18 IDF troops film themselves humiliating bound Palestinian 22:36 ADL blasts Greek paper for branding Obama win `end of Jewish domination` 23:17 Gaza militants fire four Qassam rockets into western Negev 20:48 Barak: Kadima 'a party of air', Netanyahu like 'Santa Claus' 22:12 Livni: Israel-PA peace talks must proceed unchanged 23:05 IDF concludes large drill simulating double-front war in North 19:27 Palestinians boycott 'useless' Jerusalem mayoral election 15:29 Vatican: Jewish charges against Nazi-era pope are 'outrageous' 18:25 Fatah: Hamas arrests dozens of our activists in Gaza 17:10 Actor Hanan Goldblatt sentenced to 7 years in jail for rape 16:13 Arabs rally against construction of Jerusalem museum on Muslim cemetery Previous Editions Select Day 06 nov 05 nov 04 nov 03 nov 02 nov 31 oct 30 oct 29 oct 28 oct 27 oct 26 oct 24 oct

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