By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
In a tight battle, Real Madrid edged out Monbus Obradoiro, 89-88, to clinch the second place in the ACB Regular Season behind FC Barcelona.
Spanish small forward Alberto Abalde pushed the offensive rebound after a missed shot of Sergio Llull to the game-winning bucket as time ran out in the last game of Round 32. He ended up with ten points, while Llull registered a game-high 21 points. Jumping to 25-7 on Saturday, Barca covered the top seed of the Playoff bracket. In the second seed, Los Blancos currently packing a 23-9 record.
The ACB powerhouses from Madrid and Barcelona are set to collide in the Semifinals of the upcoming Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four. The Semifinals, including defending champion Anadolu Efes opposite Olympiacos, will be hosted in Belgrade’s Stark Arena on 19 May. A couple of days later, the championship and third-place games follow at the same venue.
Meanwhile, Gran Canaria strengthened its bid for a berth in the ACB Playoffs thanks to the home win, 89-83, opposite Valencia. Former Northwestern standout John Shurna scored a season-high 29 points. On the losing end, Canadian guard Olivier Hanlan had a team-high 16 points.
Matching Valencia in the third spot of the Spanish league’s standings, Joventut Badalona limited UCAM Murcia to eight points in the fourth period to secure the win, 83-71, on the road. Experienced center Ante Tomic recorded a season-high 27 points.
Sunday results:
UCAM Murcia – Joventut Badalona 71-83
Gran Canaria – Valencia 89-83
Hereda San Pablo Burgos – Unicaja 89-74
Monbus Obradoiro – Real Madrid 88-89
Photo Credit: EuroleagueBasketball.net