By Cesare Milanti / info@eurohoops.net
BERLIN, Germany – After respectively ending up on top of Group A – with Mega Basket, Milan, and ratiopharm Ulm – and Group B – with Overtime Elite, Barcelona, and ALBA Berlin -, Real Madrid and INSEP Paris headlined the first appointment of the day battling in the ANGT Final.
The Spanish side was seeking the fourth triumph in the competition in the last five editions, while the French youth system hadn’t been on top of the competition since 2016-17. In front of NBA scouts, EuroLeague legends, and Vasilije Micic, the defending champions won again.
Scoring 49 points out of the team’s total 85, Egor Demin and Hugo Gonzalez were clearly the prospects to watch on Real Madrid’s side. The promising Russian point guard had 26 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists, while the Spanish gem scored 23 points with 6 assists and 5 steals as well.
Breaking the all-time record for points scored in the ANGT Finals with 45 to beat Barcelona in the do-or-die game to qualify, 2006-born Nolan Traore had 18 points but missed the shot to win it all and shot 0/5 from deep. A few days ago, he was playing in the LNB Quarter-Finals with Saint-Quentin against ASVEL.
Jonas Boulefaa was essential until the end for INSEP Paris by scoring a team-high 23 points, and recording a huge double-double as well by grabbing 13 rebounds. Mitar Bosnjakovic added 18 points over 4/8 from three-point range for the defending champions.
Always tight from the very beginning in the Uber Eats Music Hall of Berlin, the clash saw both sides tied at 70-70 in the last minute of action in Berlin. With 26.1 seconds left, Hugo Yimga Moukouri converted a 2+1 play while falling to the floor, but Hugo Gonzalez immediately tied afterward with a long three.
Sending the game to overtime after Nolan Traore missed the jumper to win it, Real Madrid found the lead once again with a layup in traffic from Hugo Gonzalez at 2:58 minutes left.
With the circus shot of the weekend, Jonas Boulefaa restored the 81-80 lead for INSEP, but Declan Duru came up clutch with the 2+1 contested bucket, after performing two consecutive huge blocks on the defensive end.
Nothing could stop the French forward again, banking in from the left corner. However, with 11.9 seconds on the clock, promising center Ismaila Diagne converted both free throws to give Real Madrid once again the 85-84 lead.
Hugo Gonzalez was named MVP of this year’s ANGT Finals after averaging 15.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.9 steals per game in the four encounters played in Berlin. He was awarded by Vasilije Micic, who was in attendance.
The 19-year-old Eli Ndiaye, who was the ANGT Finals MVP for Real Madrid in 2020-21, will play his second-straight EuroLeague Final with Chus Mateo’s team after winning in Kaunas last season.
Other valuable MVPs of the competition in the past have been Donatas Motiejunas (2007), Dario Saric (2011), Alberto Abalde (2013), and Luka Doncic (2018).
PHOTO CREDIT: Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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