Bitci Baskonia v Real Madrid: time to seal league final berth
Our team head to Vitoria with a 2-0 advantage and are looking to round off the semi-final series in the third game (9pm CET).
Tonight sees Real Madrid travel to the Buesa Arena for Game 3 in the league semi-finals series. Whenever a team has established a 2-0 lead at this stage, they have always advanced to the final, which is exactly what our team will be bidding to do as they aim to take the most direct route to the showpiece. Chus Mateo will lead our men into battle, given the absence of Pablo Laso, who is making good progress after having suffered a heart attack.
One win is now all that separates Real Madrid from a 10th league final appearance in 11 seasons. Tonight’s game represents the first of three opportunities to do just that, after having prevailed in the first two meetings of the series at the WiZink Center. The first match-up ended in a 94-84 win, as the team produced an attacking masterclass and achieved a record on three-pointers in a playoff game 17 and a 50% success rate. Our team ran out 83-71 winners in the second game, performing excellently in defense and limiting Bitci Baskonia to 45 points in the opening three stanzas. The Whites’ superiority in the rebound stakes proved to be key in both contests.
One win is now all that separates Real Madrid from a 10th league final appearance in 11 seasons. Tonight’s game represents the first of three opportunities to do just that, after having prevailed in the first two meetings of the series at the WiZink Center. The first match-up ended in a 94-84 win, as the team produced an attacking masterclass and achieved a record on three-pointers in a playoff game 17 and a 50% success rate. Our team ran out 83-71 winners in the second game, performing excellently in defense and limiting Bitci Baskonia to 45 points in the opening three stanzas. The Whites’ superiority in the rebound stakes proved to be key in both contests.
Another key element in the series has been the performances of Tavares. The center, who is set to overtake Bullock as the club’s third-highest foreign appearance maker 364 games has averaged 13.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and a PIR of 23, but his influence extends beyond the statistics and he has managed to disrupt his opponent’s game. It’s a case of last-chance saloon for the Vitoria-based side and they’ll be sure to go all out. The hosts are a very competitive and dangerous team, particularly in transitions and three-pointers. Their leading lights in the playoff series have been Baldwin IV and Marinkovic, but they boast other players with real quality, including Fontecchio, Giedraitis, Peters, Costello, etc.
Out to seal 3-0 series win
Our team has racked up 10 straight wins in the competition in what represents the best run of results of a season in which the Whites have faced Bitci Baskonia six times and prevailed on five occasions. The last time that Real Madrid held a 2-0 lead in the semi-finals was in the 2018/19 campaign against Valencia Basket and they rounded off the series in three games.
Out to seal 3-0 series win
Our team has racked up 10 straight wins in the competition in what represents the best run of results of a season in which the Whites have faced Bitci Baskonia six times and prevailed on five occasions. The last time that Real Madrid held a 2-0 lead in the semi-finals was in the 2018/19 campaign against Valencia Basket and they rounded off the series in three games.