Asisa Joventut reaches Liga Endesa semifinals after controlling Kosner Baskonia

By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net

Asisa Joventut became the last team to secure a place in the Liga Endesa semi-finals after defeating Kosner Baskonia 88-96 in the decisive third game of their quarter-final series.

The Catalan side claimed the series 2-1 despite lacking home-court advantage, matching the achievements of FC Barcelona and La Laguna Tenerife, who also advanced after winning on the road. Valencia Basket, Joventut’s next opponent, remains the only semi-finalist to have progressed while preserving the advantage of playing at home.

Baskonia were led offensively by Kobi Simmons, who finished with 18 points, while Trent Forrest added 14. However, the hosts were unable to contain a determined Joventut side that delivered its best performance when it mattered most.

Veteran guard Ricky Rubio turned in an outstanding display, scoring 23 points and posting a performance index rating of 28. His leadership proved decisive as the visitors gradually took control of the contest.

Although Joventut trailed 24-23 at the end of the first quarter, they managed to reverse the momentum before halftime, taking a narrow 38-41 lead into the break.

The visitors’ dominance became even more evident after the interval. Their excellent perimeter shooting opened up the floor, with Hakanson and Jabari Parker—both relatively quiet throughout the series until this point— giving Joventut the offensive spark needed to pull away.

In the final quarter, urgency and rushed decision-making took hold of Galbiati’s side, that struggled to keep pace as the deficit quickly grew into double digits. Baskonia were unable to mount a comeback, and Joventut comfortably protected their advantage until the final buzzer.