By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
Real Madrid eliminating Baskonia was the first team to place in the 2024 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four.
A win, 102-98, in Fernando Buesa Arena swept a best-of-five series on Wednesday.
Three players of the defending champions shared a game-high performance index rating of 26. Facundo Campazzo combined 13 points with eight assists, four rebounds, and one steal, Walter Tavares posted a 12-point, 13-rebound double-double to go with four blocks, one steal, and one assist, and Guerschon Yabusele registered a team-high 23 points plus seven rebounds and three assists.
Clinching a berth in the Final Four to compete for a title in Berlin between May 24 and 26, Mario Hezonja threw in 16 points in Game 3. A fifth double-digit scorer for Chus Mateo with Gabriel Deck tallying 13 points. All players were healthy leaving Carlos Alocen out of the lineup.
A technical issue on the scorer’s table forced an interruption of several minutes between the first and second quarters but did not disrupt an aggressive approach by the hosts throughout the first half. A different story in the second half, falling shy of countering experience materializing into effective defense, especially in the third quarter for Los Blancos. In the fourth period, Mateo’s side regained the lead for the first time since a 2-0 start and did not let go.
“We know that we are going to have bad moments. But we were able to recover,” said the winning head coach, “We came back to the game. We were losing by ten. And we believed until the end. This is our team. I am very proud of them, because they fought until the end.”
A fourth 3-0 dominance of a Playoffs series in the modern history of Europe’s premier club continental competition behind a seventh consecutive win between continental and domestic leagues. “We showed that we can compete at the highest level as we have been doing the whole year. A big accomplishment for us being in the Final Four. Prepare the next few weeks and be ready for the Semifinals,” noted Sergio Rodriguez after putting up six points and nine assists.
A game-high 29 points for EuroLeague’s leading scorer Markus Howard extended a double-digit scoring streak to 11 games but was not enough for a win. The league’s assist leader, Codi Miller-McIntyre wrapped up an impressive rookie campaign with 17 points, 11 assists, seven rebounds, and two steals. Chima Moneke (left ankle) remained sidelined along with Khalifa Diop (left wrist surgery).
“We did not want to give them one,” mentioned top scorer Yabusele after producing 11 points over the last ten minutes, “We wanted to finish this game. It was really hard. Howard did his thing. We just tried to stay together.”
“I think we played exactly how we had to play. We needed a little more patience in some moments,” summed up Baskonia’s boss Dusko Ivanovic, “I am happy that everybody was fighting for 40 minutes. We had the chance but Madrid was the winner. Good luck to them in the Final Four.”
Jumping back to Spain’s Liga Endesa Regular Season, a home fixture versus Coviran Granada is attached to an opportunity for the ACB leaders to improve to 27-5 on Sunday. Focusing on securing a spot in the ACB Playoffs following elimination from the EuroLeague, the team based in Vitoria-Gasteiz hosts Girona on Sunday.
Photo Credit: EuroleagueBasketball.net