By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Baxi Manresa firing on all cylinders forced ACB rival Unicaja to a very poor showing, especially early in Game 1 of the Basketball Champions League Quarterfinals best-of-three series Tuesday evening. Being limited to four points in the first quarter was a joint-low through BCL history.
Back in the 2018-19 season, Brose Bamberg was held to four first-quarter points by JDA Dijon. However, the German side allowed only 13 points in the first ten minutes and actually rallied to get the home win. Ending up with a 9-5 record, it went through Regular season Group C all the way to the Final Four held in Antwerp, Belgium.
After dropping Game 1, Unicaja is in a different situation but can launch a comeback of its own. The team coached by Ibon Navarro was outscored 29-4 in the first quarter and expectedly could not dig its way out of an early 31-point deficit. A potential answer can be provided in Game 2 at home and from there compete in a do-or-die contest in Manresa for a berth in the Final Four to be held in Bilbao between 6 and 8 May. “Let’s see if we learn from this,” noted the Unicaja boss.
As for Game 1, everything was decided in the first ten minutes, as admitted by head coach Navarro and player Alberto Diaz during the postgame press conference.
“I think that I didn’t do my job because my team didn’t understand what we needed to do to be in the first ten minutes to play here,” mentioned the Spanish play-caller, “The game was over in the first ten minutes. Definitely, I did not do my job. I didn’t convince my players to put in the energy required and what we have to do.”
Diaz, 27, ended up with eight points, five rebounds, and five assists shaping a team-high 16 efficiency rating. “We cannot allow this beginning,” he explained.
Beyond the first ten minutes, Unicaja did not make a field goal through the first four minutes of the second quarter. Tim Abromaitis finally got the job done but it was already way too late as the margin separating the two teams grew over 30 points.
Following domestic ACB games at home during the weekend, Game 2 will either lead Manresa to the Final Four or both sides to a Game 3. Game 1 merely means a 1-0 advantage for the Catalonian outfit.
“Next week is not going to be the same game,” Manresa star Chima Moneke made it clear, “It’s never the same game, no matter who you play. We are excited for that challenge.”
Photo Credit: Basketball Champions League