By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
Playoffs intensity in WiZink Center with Real Madrid overpowering Baskonia and earning a 2-0 lead in a best-of-five series.
The defending Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champions prevailed, 101-90, in Game 2. Game 3 signals a potential sweep next Wednesday.
Lasting nearly 27 minutes, Facundo Campazzo scored 24 points with 7/9 from the field, including four triples. A dominating display extended to seven assists and four rebounds. “In the first half, we had some ups and downs, but we stayed together. In the second half, we played with more hustle, way smarter than the first half,” said the Argentine point guard.
The team coached by Chus Mateo pulled away in the third quarter, similar to Game 1. Restoring a double-digit lead and adding more insurance paved the way for a second straight win against Baskonia in the capital of Spain. Guerschon Yabusele tallied 14 of his 16 points in the third period.
“We were playing well from the beginning, but Baskonia is a great team too. They scored 10/20 three-pointers in the first half. They can score from this range. And we know that. In the second half, we did a great job, kept fighting all together, and were able to contest all their shots. They only scored six in the second half,” the winning play-caller focused on perimeter defense.
Despite Dzanan Musa registering his first scoreless continental showing in 75 appearances with Madrid, tremendous chemistry in offense persisting with extra passes creating easy buckets combined with the improved defensive effort and the advantage peaked at 23 points.
Facing his former team, the league leader in blocks, Vincent Poirier ended up with ten points, six rebounds, four blocks, and one assist. The all-time leader in rejections, Walter Tavares went for ten points, nine rebounds, three steals, two blocks, and one assist.
“It was amazing,” team captain Sergio Llull commented on a pregame ceremony celebrating his rise to the top of the all-time list of players with the most three-pointers in the EuroLeague after connecting three more shots from beyond the arc in a 13-point showing, “I feel the love of the people. I think they love the way I play. I always give 100%.
Baskonia is in trouble
Failing to stay close, the team guided by Dusko Ivanovic fell into a 0-2 hole and needs three consecutive wins to advance to the Final Four. Down Chima Moneke (left ankle sprain), the visitors missed a key player across both outings in Madrid. Senegalese Khalifa Diop (left wrist surgery) also remained sidelined.
Vanja Marinkovic produced a team-high 20 points. The player with the most assists in the 2023-24 campaign of Europe’s premier club continental competition, over second-placed Campazzo, Codi Miller-McIntyre had 13 points, eight assists, six rebounds, and one steal. EuroLeague’s top scorer Markus Howard followed with 12 points.
“I think one thing is very important for us. Tonight we demonstrated we can beat Madrid. We will see a tough game in Vitoria,” reacted Ivanovic.
Domestic action
Before resuming the series in Fernando Buesa Arena, both sides focus on Round 31 of Spain’s Liga Endesa Regular Season. Baskonia visits Zunder Palencia on Saturday and Madrid hosts Monbus Obradoiro on Saturday.
The Vitoria-Gasteiz outfit sits one game outside the playoff zone with four fixtures left on the double-legged round-robin schedule. Los Blancos are tied with Unicaja at the top of the standings.
Photo Credit: EuroleagueBasketball.net