By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Like a fine wine, Marcelinho Huertas seems to get better with age. How else to explain his heroics against UCAM Murcia and 43 points against the side that fights for the ACB playoffs?
It wasn’t enough for the win since Lenovo Tenerife got defeated in overtime 109-111, but more than enough for the history books.
Huertas became the oldest player to reach 40 points in an ACB League, achieving the fifth-highest score of the century and his personal best in the competition – just 22 days before his 40th birthday.
He shot 11-21 for two, just 2-4 for three, and an impressive 15-16 from the free throw line.
Lenovo Tenerife’s point guard beat his record from a couple of months ago when he surpassed George Gervin as the oldest player to reach 30 points. In this century, only Sylven Landesberg (48), Marlon Garnett and Vincenzo Esposito (46), and Kassius Robertson (44) are in front of him.
And when you add that he dished eight assists, it’s clear that his performance against Murcia will be remembered for ages. Since the creation of ACB in 1983, no one had a 40-8 game. Greg Steward had 45 and seven in 1989, and Michael Anderson had 40 and seven in 1995.
The Brazilian guard generated 62 of the 89 points for his team when he was fielded, which is almost 70 percent. He was three combined points shy of another ACB record: the 65-point overall contribution Marcelinho recorded himself three years ago.
The experienced playmaker finished the match with a personal record PIR of 47. Another number for the books, as only Eddie Phillips achieved it. Twice in 1986, and he still holds the all-time record with a PIR of 58 in 1987.