By Panos Katsiroubas/ info@eurohoops.net
In the second installment of this week the column takes you to Vitoria but also the classic local derbies in Athens and Barcelona.
Bamberg’s curse continues. Once again they played great basketball for a long period of time. They spread out their offense, had good ball movement and executions under ideal conditions. They even had a 15-point lead but in the end they got stuck once again. Only 11 points in the final quarter, 0 in the closing three minutes. Sixth lost game by a point for Trinchieri’s team.
Bargnani. It’s the second game in a row, after Milan, in which the Italian star looks totally out of place in defense. Bad returns, very poor covers in the defensive pick-and-roll, and turnovers in rotations. He was one of the main reasons for Baskonia’s very bad first half.
The comeback! The Basques owe their comeback and their win to the amazing defense of the fourth quarter, especially from Larkin and Hanga, while in offense, Voigtmann and Beaubois had a great game. The German especially, continues to surprise with his performance, finishing the game with 20 points and 9 rebounds.
Wanamaker’s absence. Bamberg is a team with principles. They play well at intervals and are a coach’s team. For the time being they are struggling to cope with Wanamaker’s absence. A lot of the time Miller tries to play like him, steering the very good in Vitoria, Maodo Lo, to the sides. They haven’t found any solutions, especially at the end of games, and this has cost them.
Spanoulis! In yet another derby between Panathinaikos and Olympiacos, Vassilis Spanoulis was crucial. In the first quarter he created, in the second he executed, and in the end he made the decisive pass that resulted in Georgios Printezis’s winning basket. He finished the game with 22 points and 8 assists, while he had only 2 turnovers.
The difference of the rotation. Panathinaikos had five players with more than 27 minutes on the court when Spanoulis, who played the most, had as many minutes. In the economy of the game, this was expressed with the home team having their worst offensive yield in the last quarter.
Bourousis’s problem. For one more game, Olympiacos hit Ioannis Bourousis in defense with multiple screens in every play. The Greek center could not come out to the switch fast enough, with Olympiaocs’s players taking advantage and executing at every opportunity. In offense, he hasn’t found his rhythm yet and this makes the situation even tougher.
The guide! The third quarter has to become Panathinaikos’s guide for the time ahead. In this period, the home team played great defense, conceding 14 points with much difficulty, while in offense they struck on all the mismatches, either along the perimeter, or close to the basket. They also targeted Spanoulis in defense with numerous off ball screens for the player who was marking, which resulted in K. C. Rivers getting several open shots.
Barcelona – Real Madrid
Not much of a contest. Real lost to Barcelona by 20 points 15 days ago for the Spanish league. They got their revenge and then some, taking apart their big rivals by playing imposing, aggressive basketball from the first minute. The game was essentially over by half time, when the visitors had already reached a 20-point lead.
Unbelievable percentages! Real had an unbelievable offensive night in set play as well as in transition where they were super good. They were 55% in two-point shooting, 50% in three-point shooting with 14-for-28, they absolutely dominated the boards, while they had 24 assists and 10 steals. Complete domination.
Anthony Randolph. For another consecutive game, the American showed that he has started to adapt to Real, something that gives a big boost and variety in offense but also in defense. He played great on both ends of the court, and finished with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 blocks.
Absences. No team wants to cite injuries as an excuse for a defeat but in Barcelona they have cost them enormously. Their natural leader, Navarro; Doellman, who adds many offensive options; Claver, who is a super asset and can play everywhere; and Ribas, who provides solutions in creation, execution, and defense; they’re all missing. Not exactly inconsequential.