Real Madrid sentences Joventut and gets into the final
Chus Mateo’s men attack the Badalona Olympic again and will fight for the Endesa League title for the eleventh time in the last twelve years
MADRID, 12 Jun. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Real Madrid sealed their place in the Endesa League ‘Playoffs’ final after defeating Joventut Badalona (73-94), with an excellent Sergio Rodríguez, in the fourth game of the semifinal series (3-1 ), and awaits the winner of the other tie between Barça and Unicaja.
With an excellent physical level and showing off a masterful defense, which dried up the ‘Penya’ and left her with a 41% success rate in shots from two, the white team offered their best performance to take off in the third quarter and slip from back in the final fight for the title for the eleventh time in the last twelve years.
Despite losing the home court factor in the first game, Chus Mateo’s men recovered to take the next three duels, the last two in an Olímpic where tonight Sergio Rodríguez (15 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds and a PIR of 27) built the madridista victory.
The Canarian point guard relied on the outstanding clash of men like Edy Tavares (9 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 blocks and a PIR of 28), Guerschon Yabusele (14 points and 4 rebounds), Dzanan Musa (16 points and 27 valuation) and Mario Hezonja (16). Together, they neutralized the superb performance of Joel Parra, the best of the locals and who finished the game with 17 goals.
In a crowded Olímpic de Badalona, Carles Duran’s men managed timid incomes in the first minutes, with a 3 of 6 in triples and with the Dominican Andrés Feliz (5 points) as offensive reference. However, the white team did not allow the advantage to extend.
After two misses by Henry Ellenson from the staff line, two consecutive three-pointers by Dzanan Musa and Rudy Fernández put Chus Mateo’s team ahead, before Kyle Guy scored, this time, his two free throws to make it 17 -17 at the end of the first quarter.
Equality also reigned in the early stages of the second period, and it wasn’t until the last moments that Real Madrid managed to get a +5 lead after a three-pointer from Sergio Llull that caused the ‘Penya’ timeout (33- 38).
Only a basket by Joel Parra, who kept the local squad alive with his 10 goals at halftime, prevented the gap with the madridistas, grown by the appearance of men like Sergio Rodríguez (8 points), Llull (7) or Musa ( 5), was older before going to the locker room.
Even so, the European champion suffered from an external mistake, with only 30% success in shots from three, although the only two losses in the first 20 minutes opened his way, which was smoothed after the restart.
The superiority of Yabusele and Tavares in the paint and the state of grace of ‘Chacho’ (11) allowed the whites to take off, who with a 1-11 run began to prepare for their victory (41-53). Their good defense and the success in shots from two (8 of 11, 72%) led them to close the third quarter 14 up (49-63).
An attempted fight between Feliz and Sergio Rodríguez, in which Hezonja mediated by pushing the Joventut player, resulted in two unsportsmanlike actions and four free throws, of which the Dominican scored two. Birgander scored after an offensive rebound to bring Carles Duran’s men closer (56-66), but Yabusele, from three, and ‘Chacho’ neutralized the reaction (56-71).
Another basket from the Canarian point guard put the maximum advantage of the game with four minutes to go (60-76) at the beginning of the exchange of three-pointers with which the game ended. Little by little, Real Madrid headed towards their eleventh Endesa League final in the last twelve years.
DATASHEET.
–RESULT: JOVENTUT, 73 – REAL MADRID, 94 (35-38, at halftime).
–EQUIPMENT:
YOUTH: Feliz (12), Guy (6), Parra (17), Birgander (4) and Tomic (6) –starting five–; You live (11), Brodziansky (9), Ellenson (2), Kraag (2), Busquets (2) and Ventura (-).
REAL MADRID: Williams-Goss (8), Musa (16), Hanga (6), Yabusele (14) and Tavares (9) — the starting quintet –; Poirier (-), Hezonja (16), Llull (7), Rudy Fernandez (3) and Sergio Rodriguez (15).
— PARTIALS: 17-17, 18-21, 14-25 and 24-31.
–REFEREES: Pérez Pizarro, Calatrava and Olivares.
— PAVILION: Badalona Olympic. 9,924 spectators.