Basketball and the Euroleague dream
The showdown in Madrid tonight: Real-Barcelona. 1st place is worth. Or the 2nd
The European week began with Fenerbahce Istanbul’s great defensive and attacking victory over Real Madrid. A shrug, on the eve of the big match between the first two forces of the European championship.
Basketball and the Euroleague dream
Olimpia Milano went on the run immediately. 21-10 at 10 ‘, 40-25 at the long interval. The final 89-78 gave another useful victory to Ettore Messina’s players to keep the contenders for third place of the regular season at a distance.
Another important signal was that of Tel Aviv. Where Maccabì settled the CSKA Moscow snare 84-75. Very good under the boards, for the Israeli quintet: good rebounds both in front of and in defense of their basket.
The video of the match played on the Maccabì parquet
https://www.facebook.com/watch?v=1555383334835216
On the road that leads to dreams, to continental ambitions, Zenit St. Petersburg slips into Berlin. Alba wins 76-67. The Russian team “failed” a lot in attack.
Zalgiris Kaunas passed in Monte Carlo with a basket 20 ″ from the end, thanks to a personal initiative of the starting point guard.
And the Monegasque players missed the last action by wasting a double overtaking that could have been in the ropes of Monaco.
The most relevant emotions were experienced in Piraeus, where it took an extra time. The decisive basket was by Slouskas, from 3 points, from the right corner. 87-85 thrilled the entire Olympiakos audience, enthusiastic, for a great 2-player game, which sent the shooting team to decide, right on the siren, with a “downtown” shot from distance.
Milan repeated the domestic success on the Baskonia passing to Kaunas, on the Zalgiris, tamed by 74-70. A very balanced game. 18-17 for Zalgiris in the first quarter; 35-35 to 20 ‘. Milan ahead of 2 to the third and another 2 to the fourth.
Europe today …
Today’s program is a Rossini crescendo, for this second championship that the teams, rather than live, undergo, in the absence of a long, very long staff.
The first match today will be Unics Kazan-Red Star. Technically it is an interesting challenge because the Belgrade team has started to stagger on the defensive level. The match to be played on Russian soil seems like a good exam, to know if the band of young Serbs is immature or growing.
Fenerbahce comes from illustrious victories. She went to Milan by 11 and stemmed Real Madrid by just 51 points. Now the contest is a direct confrontation against Bayern Munich, which is just outside the “elected”, ie the 8 that will play the most important trophy in Europe.
At 20 in the land of France, where the transalpine national team has contributed to the spread of the “wedge ball”, Asvel Lyon Villeurbanne will play a game devoid of great mathematical significance, with Panathinaikos.
But the fact that yesterday several games were played on the wire, with two decided in the final seconds, as required by the charm of basketball, suggests a thrilling game. The first against the second. The eternal rivals. Against each other. Real Madrid versus Barcelona. With all of Europe, and perhaps a few other continents, watching. To see how 40 minutes on paper based on the concept of defense, can give, against all logic, some ladies played on the other side of the illustrious Madrid parquet.
Play your game. For 1st and 2nd place. The others seem to have to settle for reaching the 3rd.
For all information on the updated situation of the Euroleague … www.euroleague.net
For fans who want to follow the only Italian representative, Olimpia Milano www.olimpia.com
www.tag24.it/pallacanestro
Photo Credits: Olimpia Milano FB page.
