MADRID, 12 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Real Madrid maintained its sole leadership in the Endesa League this Sunday with a solid victory (86-65) over Surne Bilbao Basket on matchday 22, which brought Barça’s reaction after three straight defeats against BAXI Manresa (93 -72) and another win for Cazoo Baskonia to stay one win away from the lead.
Chus Mateo’s team closed an intense week of double Euroleague games with victory and good feelings. The Whites, who lost to Baskonia and beat Valencia Basket in Europe, gave Bilbao Basket no chance at the WiZink Center despite a cold start. Alberto Abalde (14 points and 8 rebounds) and Eli Ndiaye (14 and 4) were the best in an interesting step forward.
The leader broke the match between the second and third sets, with a 53-26 run. Ndiaye signed his best performance as a madridista and Abalde confirmed that he was back after a long injury. In addition, Mateo had a good game from Causeur and Sergio Rodríguez, in the eighth straight victory in the League (19-3).
Meanwhile, Barça could not afford more sticks in a week to forget and partly healed the wounds at the Palau. Sarunas Jasikevicius’ men, who had just lost to Casademont Zargoza, Olympiacos and Fenerbahce, came on overwhelmingly with a 32-18 score that they did not let go. Mirotic, Kalinic and Vesley marked the way to conclusively score the derby against Manresa. Tomas Satoransky (19 points and a PIR of 29) finished as the standout.
In addition, with their fifth victory in a row in the League, Baskonia remains tied with Barça as they are chasing Real Madrid. Joan Peñarroya’s men, with one of lime and the other of sand in their European week, left a choral performance to overcome (71-83) a Real Betis Basketball one win above the relegation zone.
With a 14-26 in the second quarter, the Basques stepped on the accelerator. A high pace led by Giedraitis with a PIR of 15. In search of the ‘Top 4’, Unicaja saw its euphoria diminished since its Copa del Rey title with the defeat (85-80) against UCAM Murcia. Those of Sito Alonso (9 wins), who do not give up the ‘playoffs’, pulled Travis Trice (21 points and 4 assists) and Thad McFadden (24 points).
The ‘Top 8’ is marked by Valencia Basket, who knew how to suffer (75-79) against Básquet Girona to make it 12-10 in the table. Pavello Fontajau sold his skin dearly, but the visiting duo Claver-López Arostegi (30 points and 8 rebounds between the two) prevented the comeback of a team from Girona in a bad moment and that is left with eight wins.
The day closed with the victory of Río Breogán in Fuenlabrada (73-92). The Galicians, who came from two straight defeats, added the eleventh to recover the ambition for the noble zone, while the people of Madrid remain bottom (3). Happ (25 efficiency) and Nakic (24) were the leaders of the visiting victory.