Tel Aviv, Perkins survive late scare (Basketball)
Israeli League champion Maccabi Tel Aviv got everything it could handle from upset-minded Bnei Hasharon after the underdogs twice rallied to force a decisive game in the best-of-5 playoff series.
Then in Game 5 last night, visiting Hasharon shocked the home fans by building an 11-point cushion at halftime.
But Tel Aviv and guard Doron Perkins of Anchorage stormed back for a 71-69 victory to punch its ticket to the Israeli League Final Four. Top-seeded Maccabi will face No. 6 Netanya in a semifinal matchup May 25.
Perkins, of Bartlett High fame, was hounded by foul trouble and played just 10 minutes. He finished with three points, three steals and two assists, far from his normal production when he’s not saddled to the bench.
The 6-foot-2 Alaskan is the sixth man on the league’s premier team, a Vinnie Johnson, Jason Terry type player who provides instant offense off the bench.
Take his productivity in the regular season against Netanya, Tel Aviv’s next opponent in the playoffs.
He delivered 18 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in a 113-104 victory in the first meeting. The second time they played Perkins collected five points, five rebounds and eight assists in an 88-60 win.
