By Alex Madrid / amadrid@eurohoops.net
BILBAO – BAXI Manresa had to give up its style of play to qualify for its first Basketball Champions League final. MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg planned a tough defensive game but Pedro Martinez’s squad managed to get the win.
“That’s what they wanted“, Chima Moneke explained Eurohoops after the semifinal”. They are a great team for a reason, that’s why they are in the Final Four. But we can play different styles. Honestly, there were a lot of free throws that I left, that we left, a lot of silly turnovers that we had that could make it look a lot better. The fact that we were able to win this kind of game is amazing but we are not done yet at all“.
Fortunately for Manresa, the support of its more than 2,000 fans was vital to beat the Germans: “It’s normal for us at this point, but we embrace all of it. They are the best fans in Europe. I said it before and they continue to show why. Hopefully, on Sunday we can give them the real last reason to keep celebrating“.
They will now have just one day to prepare for the final against an opponent they know well, such as Lenovo Tenerife: “It’s always difficult but at this point, it’s what we expected. Hopefully we just prepare it in the right way, stay healthy and be ready for Tenerife on Sunday“.
“I said it in February that we were going to play Tenerife in the final”, confessed Moneke with a smile. “I said it, I knew it and I’m just happy that it could happen“.
Photo credit: BCL