Endesa League Final

Inaccurate, faulty and tense the two teams. That was the start of the crash. The prelude to a battle in which each possession was pure gold. Gabriel Deck opened the tap and Cory Higgins answered with a triple.

Conversations Jasikevicus dio entrada a Dante Exum by Nigel Hayes with the intention of giving his team more verticality in attack and of more power in defense, but the two early fouls by the Australian threw the Lithuanian coach’s plans a bit on the ground.

Real Madrid continued betting on a Spartan defense, with changes in each block and when things worked best for him was when he opted for verticality and direct play. Better with Adam Hanga than with Sergio Llull.

Every small advantage was immediately erased by the rival. Nikola Mirotic appeared little and Walter Tavares dominated as almost always. 21-16 at the end of the first act.

In the second, the coaches continued with the rotations, but it was clear that Real Madrid worked by pivoting on Deck, Hanga and Fabien Causeur on the perimeter, with Guerschon Yabusele and Tavares adding strength and centimeters behind.

Jasikevicius tried to go back to the initial plan, but Exum fouled again a few seconds after leaving and Brandon Davies also hit two fast. Some good minutes from Kyle Kuric, the security of Nick Calathes and a flash of a more erratic than usual Mirotic kept the Catalans on the scoreboard for many minutes.

Rudy Fernández and Jeff Taylor joined the Madrid cause with good replacements, as did Vincent Poirier and Alberto Abalde.

A bit jerky and without continuity in the game, Real Madrid found themselves with a ten point lead, 44-34 (min. 19), to reach the break with a 46-39 lead.

With the rebounds even, 17-15 for Real Madrid, and the triples, 4 for each team, the Barça losses (11) began to outweigh the host’s 6.

Peror the fight was in defensewhere no effort was spared and where every block was a wall, every penetration attempt like crossing a minefield and every rebound an odyssey.

Going through changing rooms did not change the dynamics of the two teams. Real Madrid, very settled in the back and with good movements in attack and Barça, a bit desperateespecially his coach, by not finding solutions beyond Kuric’s effectiveness, author of the first 5 points for his team in the second half, 55-44 (23.20).

Real Madrid, after reaching 13 lead points, 55-42 (m.22.45), entered into a small crisis of ideas in attack, which was used by Barça to get closer, 55-50 (m.25.30).

Causeur and his ‘gauche’ once again made a difference with 4 points in a row, 59-50, and Poirier crushed a blunder by the rival to return to a ten-point lead, 61-50, before a devoted public that almost filled the stands .

Barça went up defensive lines, but a three-pointer by Llull and another shot by Poirier took the end of the third act to an important 66-53.

The beginning of the last quarter delved into the virtues and defects of each other with a 6-0 start (m.33.15), 72-53, which ignited the euphoria in the stands.

Real Madrid decided to freeze the ball and the offensive rebounds and Barça turnovers helped them in that task. Barça gradually lowered their arms and Real Madrid reached a placid end that put them 2-1 in the series. One victory away from the title.