Maccabi coach booted off floor in friendly game against Knicks
N.Y. beats T.A. 106-91; game halted in third quarter as Pini Gershon insists on lingering near bench.
By The Associated Press Tags: Maccabi Tel Aviv Israel news New YorkThe New York Knicks beat Maccabi Tel Aviv 106-91 on Sunday in an exhibition game that featured a bizarre delay in the third quarter when Maccabi coach Pini Gershon refused to leave the floor after he was ejected.
The game was halted for about eight minutes when Gershon continued to linger near Maccabi's bench - a delay that included a rabbi trying to intervene by asking the NBA's replacement referees calling the game to allow Gershon to stay.
Gershon eventually left after a lengthy discussion with the officials, his assistant coaches and NBA security personnel. A security official said Gershon told them he didn't care if the game was stopped before he eventually agreed to leave.
Alan Anderson scored 20 points for Maccabi Tel Aviv. D'or Fischer added 19 points and 16 rebounds.
Apparently frustrated by the officiating, Maccabi picked up four technical fouls, including two to Gershon in a 53-second span of the third quarter.
Strangely, the second came after he screamed at an official in front of his bench following an offensive foul called on the Knicks' Al Harrington.
With fans chanting "Macc-ab-i!", Gershon didn't seem to be listening to any of the basketball officials.
So Rabbi Yitchak Dovid Grossman, founder and dean of orphanage Migdal Ohr, tried to get involved by talking to the referees. But rules are clear that anyone who is ejected must leave the court, and finally Gershon did.
The Knicks also beat the Israeli team in a 2007 exhibition. Maccabi visits the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday.
The 2007 game drew the largest crowd for an exhibition at Madison Square Garden. That was a night contest; the game on Sunday began at 1 P.M. EDT, a more convenient time for Maccabi's fans overseas, but it left the upper section of seats empty.
Maccabi's roster featured Maciej Lampe, a second-round pick of the Knicks in 2003. He was traded early the next year to Phoenix, where he would later play for Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni, in the deal for Stephon Marbury. Lampe finished with 14 points.
Proceeds from the game will benefit Migdal Ohr, the world's largest orphanage.
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ha ha. Pini gershon is a clown who somehow got sent off in a friendly game. it means nothing. whats important though is the huge turnout and crowd and support for israel. Nice try but israelis dont need to be in the hague. Theyll keep playing in madison square garden and everywhere proud and strong. israel rulez. Very
Maccabi's only technical foul is that it doesn't have control over the NBA referees. Who does this Rabbi think he is too - did he try to guilt the referees with some anti-semitism charges or what? Gershon, nice job reinforcing the ever-prevailing image of Israelis. Some people thought it was just our self-involved politicians who whined and moaned, but now we've proven it's a veritable modus operandi.
Don't like to be overtly antagonistic. But Maccabi's coach Pinni Gershon is a pin-head. Nothing more... nothing less. And professionalism, normal decorum or outright class is not something one can expect from him. What bothers me most, is how this reflects on the Israeli persona in general. For goodness sake... I hope I'm over-reacting to the obvious.
This NBA ref. should have known that Israelis (including a basketball team that needs a rabbi to intervene with the refs on its behalf) are exempt from any rules against them. Otherwise, why is Olmert giving lectures at U.S. college campuses instead of answering war crimes charges at The Hague?