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The back-and-forth contest represented a culminating moment, not only for the Yankees’ longtime coach — claiming the City Section Open Division girls’ basketball title by knocking off archrival Westchester 63-52 — but for the girls’ basketball program.

The U.S. also supports Israel’s anticipated retaliation against Iran after Tehran’s bombardment of its archrival this week.

“If we could not win against the U.S.A., how can we win against our archrival from India?”

Rather than preparing the public for a showdown with its archrival, the government signaled a return to relative normalcy, lifting restrictions on large gatherings and allowing schools to reopen.

It has become a bitter contest between the two archrivals, who are locked in what is known as “gladiator politics.”