By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Real Madrid defeated Baxi Manresa 94 – 88 on the road to improve to 2-0 in the Spanish ACB. The Blancos, who were minus star center Edy Tavares, used a late push with 13 points in the last five minutes of the game to get the win.
The score was tied at 81 halfway through the fourth period when Real made a 3 – 9 run to go up 84 – 92 with 1:42 to play. Manresa couldn’t overcome that deficit and dropped to 0-2.
Dzanan Musa scored a game-high 23 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished out four assists for Real Madrid while Facu Campazzo notched 15 points plus eight dimes. Sergio Llull had eight out of his 13 points in the final period.
Tavares, 31, did not suit up for Round 2 of Spain’s Liga Endesa Regular Season. He is dealing with a respiratory infection, said head coach Chus Mateo after the game.
Brancou Badio dropped 16 points for Manresa.
ACB newcomer Palencia came extremely close to beating Barcelona, once in regulation and another time in the extra period. In the end, the Blaugrana prevailed 84 – 83 in overtime courtesy of Nicolas Laprovittola’s heroics.
While finishing with 20 points plus seven assists, Laprovittola hit the winning free throws with four seconds to play. He had sent the game to overtime by draining the buzzer-beater from midrange after making a free throw and intentionally missing the second one with two seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
Willy Hernangomez had 21 points for Barcelona while Tomas Satoransky scored six out of his nine points in the last minutes of overtime with back-to-back 3-pointers to respond to Palencia’s Yannick Franke.
Franke finished with 19 points and five rebounds. Brandon Brown had 21 points plus five assists.
After just two rounds of action, only Real Madrid, Barcelona, Girona and UCAM Murcia are left perfect in the standings with a 2-0 record.
Liga Endesa 2023-24 Round 2 Results:
Zaragoza – Murcia 100 – 92
Murcia – Baskonia 88 – 76
Tenerife – Valencia 86 – 94
Joventut Badalona – Granada 86 – 80
Girona – Gran Canaria 88 – 64
Palencia – Barcelona 83 – 84
Andorra – Rio Breogan 63 – 69
Manresa – Real Madrid 88 – 94