By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
On the verge of completing an improbable comeback in the Semifinals of the Liga Endesa Playoffs, Unicaja secured a win, 88-79, against UCAM Murcia in Palacio de Deportes de Murcia on Monday.
Dylan Osetkowski was the driving force for the recently-crowned Basketball Champions League champions, piling up 22 points with 7/10 field goals. Kendrick Perry tallied five of his 14 points over the last ten minutes and dished out a game-high seven assists. Tyson Carter chipped in 17 points, including five triples. A fourth double-digit scorer for head coach Ibon Navarro, Kameron Taylor finished with 14 points.
Facing elimination for a second straight contest on the road, the team based in Malaga jumped to an early 14-point lead and went up by a margin of 16 points in the third quarter of Game 4. Repelling a late comeback bid tied the best-of-five series to 2-2, setting up a deciding Game 5 in Palacio de Deportes Jose Maria Martin Carpena on Wednesday.
On the wrong end, Latvian forward Rodions Kurucs produced a new individual best for the 2023-24 campaign with 26 points behind 9/12 from the field. He also recorded seven rebounds and four assists but to no avail.
Injured Marko Todorovic and Simon Birgander remained sidelined along with Arturs Kurucs for the Universitarios. For Unicaja, Augusto Lima was out of the lineup.
ACB Playoffs
Quarterfinals (best-of-three)
Unicaja – BAXI Manresa 2-0 (87-79, 86-63)
Valencia – UCAM Murcia 1-2 (86-96, 83-72, 77-84)
Real Madrid – Dreamland Gran Canaria 2-0 (105-70, 73-71)
FC Barcelona – Lenovo Tenerife 2-0 (96-86, 97-92)
Semifinals (best-of-five)
Unicaja – UCAM Murcia 2-2 (79-88, 83-101, 74-66, 88-79)
Real Madrid – FC Barcelona 3-0 (97-78, 104-98, 95-92)
Finals (best-of-five)
Real Madrid – Winner of Unicaja vs. UCAM Murcia