By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
With another brilliant offensive performance, led by unstoppable Darius Thompson, Cazoo Baskonia crushed LDLC ASVEL with a 120-100 win in Vitoria and continued the playoff battle in dominant fashion.
The American playmaker and the Euroleague’s leader in assists, Thompson, finished the match with another double-double of 23 points and 12 assists for a game-high PIR of 36. Just two of his career record.
“We just like to play fast. Our rhythm, our pace, if shots are going in, we are capable to score a lot of points. So tonight, we scored a lot of points, but have to get a little better on the defensive end“, Thompson said after the match.
Rokas Giedraitis added 19 points, Maik Kotsar 15 for the winning side, while Daulton Hommes finished the match with 12, and Vanja Marinkovic and Arturs Kurucs contributed with 10 points each.
“That was a strange game overall. I don’t know, defense didn’t exist, not them, not us – it was a super strange game. But I want to say, first of all, thank you to our fans for coming. We are playing good and scoring 90+ points at home, but now we need to watch our next game – away against Olympiacos – and try to improve in that away game,” Giedraitis added.
Jonah Mathews led the French side with 25 points, Nando De Colo added 19, while Dee Bost and David Lighty scored 12 each, and Charles Kahudi 11 points.
“Let’s keep the positive things,” T.J. Parker kept it short.
For Baskonia, it all goes to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague last regular season round and a match against leader Olympiacos in Piraeus, who, after a loss to Crvena Zvezda, needs the win at home to secure the top spot.
“It’s final. Zalgiris won, Fenerbahce won, and it is a final. We depend on our game,” Penarroya said about the last-round match against the leaders.
Record breaking night
With 120 points, Baskonia set a new club record in the EuroLeague. It’s the third time that happened during this season. Of course, it’s also a season-high in the whole EuroLeague and just three points behind the all-time record held by Maccabi Tel Aviv and Panathinaikos.
Also, Joan Penarroya’s players dished 33 assists, which is a new club record as well. The previous one was set on January 27 against Anadolu Efes (31).
It was a magical night in Fernando Buesa Arena and one of the most efficient team performances in the club’s history, with a team PIR of 142. Club’s record is 148, set recently against Valencia.
“It was an offensive game. Our defense didn’t exist, but we didn’t have problems in our offensive situations, and 120 points is a good victory, and our fans are happy,” Penarroy concluded.