By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
The festive atmosphere in Berlin during the Spurs visits didn’t change on the court of O2 Arena. Even if it was a preparation game, one of the biggest upsets in world basketball became a reality as German runner up Alba Berlin beat by a point (94-93) the NBA champions San Antonio Spurs as Jamal McLean made a buzzer beater.
Reggie Redding with five seconds left made the score 92-94 with an other three and then stole the ball from Tim Duncan, making the buzzer beater possible. Jamal McLean with 18 points was the leading scorer of the winners, while Tony Parker had 28 points and Tim Duncan 14 for the Spurs.
As coach Popovich said after the game: “Don’t take anything away from Alba. It’s not like we didn’t care. We tried to win. They kicked our ass”. And when he was asked when he understood that Alba’s coach Sasha Obradovic was going for the win, he answered: “From the start, he is Serbian”. Before the game Tony Parker got his FIBA Europe player of the year 2013 award.