By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
After the shock of the home defeat in Game 1, Real Madrid bounced back and beat Caja Laboral 73-64 with Sergio Llull (photo, 16 p.) and Novica Velickovic (16 p.) leading the way. The semifinal series of Liga Endesa is now tied 1-1 and Caja Laboral now has two games in its court.
That game was the most glamorous game of Saturday’s night, but not the most important. Injuries finally destroyed Bennet Cantu and got them officially out of next season’s Euroleague. Scavolini Pesaro won at Cantu’s home court 78-69 (3-2) and qualified to Italian league’s semifinals. James White had a double double (21 p., 10 r.) for the winners against a team that was the pleasant surprise during the 2011-12 season in Euroleague, but in the last games was playing without injured Valdimir Micov and Giorgi Sermadini, two very important players on its rotation.
In France Chalon/Saone beat Roan 85-74 and with 2-0 wins qualified to the semis where they will play against Orleans. That didn’t happened in the series between Cholet and Gravelines. Cholet won 76-65 the game against the team that finished on top of the standings the regular season and now the score between them is 1-1.
In Croacia, traditional powerhouse Cibona beat rising power Cedevita 84-77 in the first final of a best of five series with veteran guard Davor Kus scoring 18 points. And finally in Czech Republic we have a champion who is for the ninth straight season CEZ Nymburk after a 4-0 sweep against Prostejov.