By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Baskonia outgunned Real Madrid 94 – 90 on the road in Game 1 of the Spanish ACB Finals to not only begin the series by gaining an advantage but also by claiming the homecourt advantage from their opponents that completed the regular season at the top seed.
The game was a bona fide thriller down the stretch. With the score 84 – 84 and 80 seconds remaining, Baskonia made a key 6 -0 run, partially thanks to Tornike Shengelia’s four points from the line plus a basket by Lukas Vildoza but also a 0/2 by Real’s Gustavo Ayon on the other end.
Sergio Llull tried to keep Real alive by banking one crazy (even for his standards) lefty from beyond the arc but this basket just postponed his team’s defeat since the Basques were perfect in their remaining free throw attempts.
Sergio Llull is not of this worldpic.twitter.com/tJrqMfnZSo
— Eurohoops.net (@Eurohoopsnet) June 13, 2018
Six players from Baskonia scored in double figures with Vildoza (16 points) leading the charge. Vincent Poirier had 13 points and five rebounds, Shengelia 13 points plus seven boards while Janis Timma notched 12 points. New York Knicks star and Timma’s fellow Latvian Kristaps Porzingis was in attendance.
Jaycee Carroll scored a team-high 20 points for Real Madrid and Sergio Llull added 14 points. Potential No. 1 pick Luka Doncic finished with 12 points, six rebounds, four assists and one turnover in 29 minutes. He struggled with his shooting, making four out of his 13 shots from the field.
Edy Tavares posted 12 points and five rebounds for the “Blancos”, with most of his contribution coming early in the game.