BAXI Manresa clung to the playoff
MADRID, 28 Abr. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Real Madrid beat Monbus Obradoiro (79-69) this Sunday to take the lead on matchday 31 of the Endesa League, while Barça stumbled (108-92) on their visit to MorBanc Andorra and BAXI Manresa clung to eighth position.
Chus Mateo’s team, with one eye on the Euroleague playoffs that travel next week to Vitoria with a 2-0 lead against Baskonia, did their homework in the League to put pressure on Unicaja. The white team imposed its quality with six players with double-digit ratings; Dzanan Musa, the best.
Obradoiro, looking to make a splash at the WiZink Center for salvation, reacted to the good home start with a great second quarter, but after the break, Madrid was imposing its law. The whites thus escaped with the lead in 26 wins, with Unicaja (25) pending their match due to being in the FIBA Champions League.
With the European playoff much more complicated, 1-1 against Olympiacos, Barça had a bad game in Andorra. Roger Grimau’s men, without the discards of Ricky Rubio and Jan Vesely, plus the elimination of Jabari Parker and James Nnaji, were left without resources in a terrible last quarter. Andorra confirmed their permanence in ACB in a big way, with a decisive Mihajlo Andric.
The Serbian player scored 14 points in the last quarter, when Barça seemed to be in control of a game they had been dragging on. The culé awakening was led by Joel Parra in the third quarter but those eliminations and a total blackout in attack gave the Andorrans wings. A 17-2 run, full of intensity from the local team, knocked down a Barça team that will have to improve a lot on Tuesday in Piraeus.
On the other hand, forced after Baskonia’s victory on Saturday, Manresa responded with a carat victory (98-96) against Valencia Basket at the Nou Congost. The give and take awoke in the second quarter, favorable to the locals but with a ‘taronja’ response after the break.
Marcis Steinbergs and Brandon Taylor sealed the Manresa victory, which had featured Devin Robinson (18 points) and Badio (15) on its way. Pedro Martínez’s men regained eighth place with 18 wins, compared to Baskonia’s 17, while Valencia remains at 19, missing the ‘Top 4’ which, on the other hand, Barça also opened, remaining at 21 wins.