The Endesa League final they will dispute it today the Barça
, who has spent six years without achieving the title, and the Kirolbet Baskonia, whose drought extends to a decade. Ivanovic’s team qualified yesterday after defeat Valencia Basket (73-75) in the second semifinal, which turned into a beautiful battle between two very even teams.
The host team, led by Jaume Ponsarnau, was overcome only at the end, perhaps accusing the fatigue and the losses of its two best forwards: Abalde, who did not even get dressed, and Labeyrie, who sprained his right ankle in the second quarter .
Knowing that his greatest advantage was in the physical aspect, the Baskonia shot out led by a powerful Toko Shengelia, but the Valencia, fresh and very concentrated, knew how to withstand the pulse commanded by Sam Van Rossom.
Montenegrin coach of Kirolbet Baskonia, Dusko Ivanovic, will play the Endesa League final again (Manuel Bruque / EFE)
In fact, after putting the Belgian in front of him, he managed to maintain command when Fernando San Emeterio assumed part of the task of creating and when Dusko Ivanovic’s team remained stuck after Henry sat down and that in his case no one assumed command (17-12, m.10).
In one of the last actions of the first part, Valencia lost Labeyrie, an important drag because they had removed Shengelia and the other possible ‘four’, one is injured, Maurice Ndour, and the other, Brock Motum, hardly counts.
He Baskonia He knew how to react after the break, until the Valencian team was dominating on the scoreboard. Zoran Dragic, with 21 points, led the victory in Vitoria, well supported by Shengelia, who scored 17. The team that now leads again Dusko Ivanovic Today he will seek his fourth title against Barça, the same rival against whom he achieved the last one, in 2010 and when his name was Caja Laboral.
Datasheet
Valencia Basket, 73 – Kirolbet Baskonia, 75
Valencia Basket (17 + 25 + 13 + 18): Van Rossom (14), Loyd (11), San Emeterio (9), Labeyrie (5), Tobey (9) -five holder- Colom (4), Marinkovic (3), Dubljevic (6), Sastre (4), Doornekamp (8) and Motum (-).
Kirolbet Baskonia (12+21+23+19): Henry (5), Jannings (-), Shields (13), Shengelia (17), Eric (5) -cinco titular- Vildoza (2), Diop (-), Granger (-), Dragic (21) y Polonara (12).
Referees: García González, Peruga and Calatrava. Without eliminated.
Incidents: semifinal of the final phase of the Endesa League played behind closed doors in the Fuente de San Luis pavilion.
