HEALTH & FITNESS

o to by Lay ne Mu rdoc h/NBA E

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sports

Will Bynum goes up for a layup against

the Oklahoma City Thunder.

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Art Aisner

Surprising
Star

Will Bynum picked up valuable
experience in Israel before his
breakout season with the Pistons.

Special to the Jewish News

must-win game in early April
was certainly unfamiliar terri-
tory for this group of Detroit

April 30 2009

But not for Bynum. To him, all

the hours toiling away against other
NBA-ready talent while experiencing
new cultures in the European League

helped get him to this opportunity,
this game, this moment. So trailing

the surging Bobcats by one point, he

istons.
With team captain Richard Hamilton
already ejected and starter Rodney

did what came naturally and attacked.
"I knew we needed the win, and I
happened to be more aggressive,"

Stuckey stymied by the Charlotte

said Bynum, recalling the April 5
game at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

Bobcats' defense, Will Bynum found
himself with the ball in his hands and

12 minutes to save the season.
It was a long way from the small
arenas and marvelous Mediterranean

coastline where just a year earlier
he was the floor leader for Maccabi
Electra Tel Aviv.

A36

411"11"4116.4
'

He remembers starting the quarter
with eight points before unleashing

an assortment of slashing drives and
step-back jump shots mixed with

clutch free-throw shooting.

SURPRISING STAR on page A38