Unicaja beat MoraBanc Andorra with authority (89-106) this Sunday on matchday 8 of the Endesa League to reinforce its leadership, after the pressure of a Real Madrid that suffered despite winning by 26 against Hiopos Lleida, while that Barça regained the path of victory with a hard-fought victory over Valencia Basket.
Ibon Navarro’s team broke the clash in the Principality with a great second quarter (17-31) and did not let go of control until the end. Tyson Carter was the best of the Malaga team (25 points, 4 assists, 30 PIR, a Unicaja that is not out of the lead, with seven wins to the six of Madrid and La Laguna Tenerife, with one game less for the Canaries.
Although from more to less, the white team partially compensated its fans at the WiZink Center for the defeat on Thursday against Anadolu Efes and extended its good dynamic at least in the Endesa League. Chus Mateo’s men made the difference in the first half, where they gave a recital of play on offense (10 triples and 51 points) and defense (25 points) to achieve a lead of +26.
Hiopos Lleida showed pride in the restart and tightened the match by giving the current champion 34 points in the third quarter. In the end, in a closer manner than expected, Madrid sealed their victory from the personal line in the last quarter. Five local players finished in double figures, highlighting Facundo Campazzo (19), Rathan-Mayes and Serge Ibaka (17).
For their part, with a week of three games for both teams, Barça and Valencia left everything in a duel for the top of the table (102-99). Joan Peñarroya’s men equaled the ‘taronja’ in five wins, although with one less game those of Pedro Martínez, led by Kevin Punter (24 points) and Jabari Parker (18), a version that the Palau missed on Friday against Paris.
The locals, who had also lost in the League in Lugo, carried the weight of the match, always ahead, but Valencia, who did not start well in defense, improved in the second half and stayed alive until they had the last basket of the last second to force at least extra time. Chris Jones, 16 points and recovering his best version, fell short in the triple.
Furthermore, within its irregular progress but in the ‘Top 8’ of the table, Dreamland GC won this Sunday thanks to a stellar Nico Brussino (18 points, 9 in the last quarter), who left the victory in Las Palmas with two triples in a row that knocked down a tough team, although in the relegation zone, Bàsquet Girona (89-84).
Meanwhile, Pablo Laso’s Baskonia extended its crisis with a painful defeat (86-85) against Casademont Zaragoza in an undefeated Príncipe Felipe Pavilion. The Basque team conceded an epic comeback from the hands with a 31-19 lead in the last quarter, with Jilson Bango as the hero of the locals, the third defeat in the last four league games, an even worse streak in the Euroleague.
On the other hand, in a duel between teams that want to look up and not down, Juventut gave Surne Bilbao Basket no option (79-95) to sign the fourth victory of the season and leave the Basques at three. Ante Tomic (10 points, 10 rebounds and 24 rating) was the leader, although five other ‘Penya’ players were in double digits in rating.