By Eurohoops / info@eurohoops.net
The Endesa League quarterfinals may have been marked by surprises and unreliability in home games, but logic is prevailing in the semifinals. After Barça secured a 2-0 lead at the Palau against La Laguna Tenerife, Valencia Basket has also achieved a 2-0 victory at home.
A 90-76 win for Valencia against Asisa Joventut gives Pedro Martínez’s team the right to close out the series next Sunday with a win at the Olímpic de Badalona.
As usual, the home team’s performance was a collective effort, with many players contributing: Badio finished as the top scorer with 16 points, but Montero (11), De Larrea (10), Taylor (10), Cárdenas (13), and Pradilla (10) also finished in double figures.
The scoring was much less evenly distributed for the green-and-black team, with Jabari Parker (16) leading the way and Morin, with 9, second on the offensive side.
As the final score reflects (and it didn’t quite capture the full picture, since the game was effectively over long before the final buzzer), the home team’s dominance was clear and consistent throughout the forty minutes. Valencia Basket never trailed and finished the first quarter with a significant lead (30-13).
The 56-43 halftime score offered the visitors a glimmer of hope for a comeback, but the home team quickly extinguished any attempt at a comeback, establishing their first twenty-point lead (71-51) in the third quarter.
With the game effectively decided, both teams considered the game over, leaving only the final score to be the final margin of victory, which was ultimately settled with a 90-76 scoreline, a scoreline that was somewhat flattering for the visitors.
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 – 2 Asisa Joventut (85-71), (63-82), (88-96)
- UCAM Murcia 1 – 2 Barça (68-91), (87-90), (76-100)
Semifinals
- Barça 2 – 0 La Laguna Tenerife (100-67, 97-89)
- Valencia Basket 2 – 0 Asisa Joventut (118-117, 90-76)
Photo credit: ACB
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