Opinion

Hapoel Jerusalem got screwed.

It wasn’t the infamous “Montreal Screw Job” but it was certainly close enough.

The Reds were screwed blued and tattooed.

The zebras did a number on Hapoel Jerusalem to the likes that haven’t been seen since Vince McMahon decided to strip Bret Hart of the WWF title no less in Montreal, in the “Hitman’s” own home country in a matchup against Shawn Michaels. Hart was departing to the fledgling competition, WCW and Vinny Mac decided that although he promised Hart that he wouldn’t strip him of the title, he would do an about face and did exactly that.

With the help of referee Earl Hebner, an early bell was called in the main event at Survivor Series when Michaels put Hart in his own finisher, the “Sharpshooter” that handed the title belt to the Heartbreak kid.

There is no question and absolutely no way around it that the Euroleague was not interested in having a third Israeli team in the continent’s top league. They wanted to have no part of the Jerusalem.

And they made sure the referees called the game as such.

How is it possible that not one, not two, not three but four Hapoel Jerusalem players fouled out?

And not just any four players.

Cassius Winston.

Austin Wiley.

Anthony Lamb

And last but certainly not least the star of the show, Jared Harper.

The score was 74-65 in favor of the hosts in the fourth quarter with 6:56 left in their winner take all quarterfinal game, a home clash that was being played in Belgrade due to the latest war with Iran and the fact should there not have been a war, Turk Telekom wouldn’t have played in Israel regardless.

Winston fouled out with 6:43 left. Harper was next as the star guard picked up three fouls in 55 seconds(!), two of which were offensive as he was sent to the showers with 4:47 remaining in the game.

After Turk pulled ahead, Wiley drew Jerusalem back even at 85-85 with 51 clicks on the clock left and then was shown the exit stage left by the referees with 40 seconds to go in regulation.

Last but not least, Lamb was sent packing with his fifth foul with 11 seconds left on a foolish foul, flying into the corner and fouling Jordan Usher as he was launching a 3-pointer. That sent Usher to the line for a trio of free throws with Jerusalem in front 87-86.

Usher clanged the first off of the iron, hit the second and then missed the third.

But wait! The refs decided for some reason or another that there was a violation and gave Usher another chance to give Erdem Can’s team the lead and that’s what he did, 88-87.

Could the refs help Turk any more in trying to win the game and do it in a more obvious way?

A depleted Jerusalem still had a chance to win when Roi Huber hit a triple from way downtown with 5 seconds to go in what could have been a miraculous victory. But that didn’t matter to Allman who did the same with one second left to send Turk to the semifinals and Jerusalem to in effect no man’s land as there is no idea in sight as to when the Israeli league will return to action.

Now, Jerusalem should have seen how the game was being called and been a bit more intelligent as well. The total fouls were 33-20 in a game that the refs were clearly overcalling early and often in favor of Turk. There was an agenda without question and Head Coach Yonatan Alon had to be smart enough to work the referees a bit harder, something he doesn’t do well in general and also make sure his players see the writing on the wall and not fall into the trap that was set.

Sports and basketball in general are very emotional and sometimes it’s hard to keep them in check and that was something Hapoel Jerusalem needed to do a better.

Khadeen Carrington was not with the team and was with his wife who had just given birth back in Israel, during a war. No one is going to tell him that he needed to play and that he was supposed to be in Belgrade instead of being with his significant other during one of the great moments that life can give one, which is life itself.

No one should even go there as missiles are flying from every which direction and life right now in Israel is on the edge, minute by minute.

But that’s not why the Reds lost this game and don’t let anyone tell you any which way.

They were screwed. Plain and simple.

There are many reasons why and here’s just a small sampling as to why the Euroleague didn’t want a third team in the top competition.

Issues with Turkish teams not playing in Israel or not allowing their teams to play in the Holy Land.

Issues with the Spanish teams whose government’s blatant antisemitism want to have no part of Israeli teams playing with fans in the stands because they are afraid that the local authorities won’t be able to handle any type of protest that they themselves have fostered.

Issues of not playing games at home in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv for that matter which has been the case since the Hamas attacks that began on October 7th.

No way, no how did the Euroleague want another Israeli team to make it a total of three and add yet another headache that they don’t need.

Sure Dubai is also a problem now as well, but there is plenty of cash flowing through the United Arab Emirates and the Gulf States, so for now they will deal with that problem at hand. In fact, let’s not forget that last year’s Final Four took place in Abu Dhabi.

All that Matan Adelson’s team would bring is trouble.

However, though, perhaps the biggest issue with the Euroleague is that there had been recent rumors that Hapoel Jerusalem would be joining the NBA Europe as a charter member which would make all the sense in the world.

The Adelson family owns the Dallas Mavericks.

Why wouldn’t Jerusalem then be a part of a brand new league, one that has the three magic letters, N.B.A. a part of it.

It makes all the sense in the world.

The Euroleague, just like Vince McMahon wanted to have no part of an entity flying the coop to the other competition.

When you peel it all back it’s really that simple.

Just like McMahon screwed Bret Hart, the Euroleague did the same to Hapoel Jerusalem.