Maccabi beats Bologna 118:74, takes Euroleague Cup Frankie Sachs Jerusalem Post May 1, 2004 By the time you've read this the celebrations have been long underway. Maccabi Tel Aviv was crowned as the European Champion Saturday night after crushing Skipper Bologna 118-74 in the Euroleague final before a sold-out crowd of over 10,000 at the Nokia Arena in Tel Aviv. Captain Gur Shelef asked Maccabi veteran Derrick Sharp to lift the trophy with him while thousands dressed in yellow roared, coach Pini Gershon - the first Israeli coach to take two European titles - screamed "this is great," and the speakers played Queen's "We are the Champions" with flags and banners waving from all directions. The Israelis set a host of records of records on their way to their fourth European Championships, including the most lopsided win in Final Four history, erasing Maccabi's 101-67 drubbing at the hands of Barcelona in 1991. The 118 points also marked the most scored by one team in Final Four history. All but one player scored for Maccabi in a true team effort, but it was Final Four MVP Anthony Parker, reserve forward David Bluthenthal, and Lithuanian point guard Sarunas Jasikevicius that led the way. Parker had his second straight dominant performance with a team-high 21 points. Bluthenthal sparked the team with 20 points on 8-of-10 shoting, and "Saras" Jasikevicius got the blowout going with eight of his 18 points in the first five minutes. Maccabi also 17 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists in a quality performance from Tal Burstein, and nine points each from Sharp, Nikola Vujcic, and Maceo Baston. Tel Aviv shot a commanding 61 percent (14-for-23) from beyond the arc, won the battle of the boards 35-22, and passed out 31 assists. On the other side, Skipper had just eight assists. Maccabi was never in trouble. After Matjaz Smodis scored inside to put Skipper up 2-0, Maccabi went on a 19-3 run to take control of the game. Jasikevicius got the team going, nailing a pair of threes and setting Parker up on a three-point play. However, "Saras" soon picked up his second foul, and was immediately whistled for his third, a technical, causing stress for the Maccabi supporters. But it immediately became clear that this was more that Jasikevicius's show. Tel Aviv continued to run ahead, while Bologna couldn't hit the side of a barn. Skipper shot a horrendous 2-for-13 (15 percent) in the first quarter, and equaled a Final Four low with 13-first quarter points. A Vujcic jumper to start the second put Maccabi ahead 20. Skipper finally found its touch and made four in a row to cut it to 35-21, but Bluthenthal answered right back with a tip-in and a bucket underneath to give the host team control again. Tel Aviv's high-powered attack kept up the pace, until Tal Burstein's jumper at the buzzer gave Maccabi its biggest lead, 55-30, and set a new finals record for points in a half. Maccabi roared again early in the third period, and went up 64-35 when Burstein fed Parker for a fastbreak reverse slam and three-point play. But Bologna had some more fight left in it. Vujanic scored five during a 10-0 run to get within 19, but Jasikevicius answered with a jumper, Maccabi got its confidence back, and the rout was on. The fourth quarter became glorified garbage time, but that didn't stop the yellow-and-blue from dominating. Young Avi Ben-Chimol's two points (a Euroleague career-high) gave Maccabi it's biggest lead, 116-69, in the closing minute and set off the celebrations that had really begun somewhere during the first quarter.