By Cesare Milanti / info@Eurohoops.net
MALAGA, Spain – If anybody told you that following this first gameday both Unicaja Malaga and Lenovo Tenerife would have been out, would you believe it? Because frankly, we are not convinced our answer would have been “yeah, of course”.
Well, whatever your convictions were before this – unbelievable and thrilling – Final Four in Malaga, surprises came like Christmas presents. The only difference is that neither Khadeen Carrington nor TJ Shorts are happy men with a long, white beards. And both Andalusian and Canarian found nasty surprises in their socks.
First, Hapoel Jerusalem fans decided to change the territorial shape of Malaga by bringing a red river to the streets of the city nearby the Martin Carpena Arena, which apparently flew in the court as well. In a tough back-and-forth first semifinal, the already-mentioned Carrington drove to the left for the first time after 39 minutes of Malaga forcing him to go right. And yes: he won the whole thing.
A river of Red in Malaga #BasketballCL pic.twitter.com/1sLrcIkllk
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) May 12, 2023
Secondly, Telekom Baskets Bonn came to the same venue surrounded by another river, this time colored green and purple. The opportunity – and pressure – of playing in front of an amazing familiar crowd, which tied Hapoel Jerusalem’s fanbase in terms of buzzness and naturally overcame it in numbers, however, was way too big to take it.
And so Bonn, between one “MVP” chant and another, ruined the party. The second day in Malaga – the first one spent on the court – brought surprises, tense moments, and two loud fanbases exiting the Martin Carpena Arena with completely different moods. We see you tomorrow. Don’t wait under the Christmas tree.
THERE’S A PARTY GOING ON IN MALAGA #BasketballCLpic.twitter.com/lloGriYwE9
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) May 12, 2023
PHOTO CREDIT: Basketball Champions League