By Javier Molero/ jmolero@eurohoops.net
Tenerife made history and eliminated Real Madrid in the first round of the playoffs after winning Game 3 on the road (107-95).
Patty Mills (29 p.), Marcelinho Huertas (23 p.), and newcomer German big man Kevin Yebo (22 p.) led the historic victory in Madrid to qualify for the semifinals. It’s the first time Real Madrid has been eliminated in the first round in the last 18 years.
Yebo was added to the roster to cover Giorgi Shermandini’s injury on the 25th of May, and he proved to be the right choice.
Tenerife surprised Real Madrid in the first half. Once again. Aaron Doornekamp and Marcelinho Huertas punished Scariolo’s team from beyond the arc before the break, getting a 49-45 lead.
Madrid fought back in the third quarter and entered the last period up by three (73-70), but Mills, Huertas, and Yebo’s sensational performance meant Real Madrid lost in the first round for the first time in 18 years (95-107).
A historic victory for coach Txus Vidorreta’s team. “It’s the greatest thing we’ve done together since the Copa del Rey final”, Vidorreta said after the victory.
Barça qualifies for semifinals
Barça has reached the Endesa League playoff semifinals. The team coached by Xavi Pascual convincingly defeated UCAM Murcia 76-100 in the third and decisive game of the series, closing out the tie 2-1 and confirming their – perhaps unexpected – title aspirations. Their next opponent will be La Laguna Tenerife, who eliminated Real Madrid, a series in which Barça will have home-court advantage.
The game was practically decided from the outset. After a first quarter dominated by the visitors (17-27), Barça took complete control and never looked back. The Catalan team’s superiority was maintained throughout the game, both in terms of play and the scoreboard, against a UCAM team unable to find solutions to stem the Barça offensive onslaught.
The standout player of the game was Will Clyburn. The forward delivered an outstanding performance with 23 points and a 29 efficiency rating, leading his team on both ends of the court. Toko Shengelia also stood out with a 23 efficiency rating, as did Nicolás Laprovittola, who confirmed his return to full playoff form with 14 points.
Halftime already reflected the visitors’ dominance, and after the break, Barça completely broke the game open. With the score at 47-70 at the start of the second half, Xavi Pascual’s men managed a 23-point lead that allowed them to comfortably control the final stretch. Murcia’s attempts to mount a comeback failed to gain traction, and the Blaugrana secured their place in the playoffs without any further scares.
For the home team, Michael Forrest led all scorers with 20 points, followed by Davontae Cacok with 16 and Jonah Radebaugh with 15. However, UCAM Murcia felt the absence of the injured David DeJulius and the lackluster performance of Kelan Martin. The hero of the previous game at the Palau Blaugrana was unable to replicate his success and finished with a performance rating of -8.
Liga Endesa Playoffs
Quarterfinals
- Real Madrid 1 – 2 La Laguna Tenerife (97-98), (83-118), (95-107)
- Valencia Basket 2 – 0 Surne Bilbao (83-80), (71-88)
- Kosner Baskonia 1 – 1 Asisa Joventut (85-71), (63-82)
- UCAM Murcia 1 – 2 Barça (68-91), (87-90), (76-100)
Semifinals
- Barça – La Laguna Tenerife
- Valencia Basket – Kosner Baskonia/Asisa Joventut
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