Baskonia scores a great game against Partizan
Howard, new hero in Vitoria, forced extra time and led the two out of two for Peñarroya
MADRID, 14 (EUROPA PRESS)
The Cazoo Baskonia had a crazy and exciting game (103-96) against Partizán this Friday in the second day of the Euroleague, with Markus Howard as the hero of the Fernando Buesa Arena, forcing extra time with a triple at the buzzer and contributing 33 points to a victory of those who make a team.
The Basque team, which won its debut last week in Valencia, scored an even match, where it seemed like it would die on the shore until Howard performed the miracle that reinforces Joan Peñarroya’s project. The locals took advantage of the rush in the extra five minutes, with Costello going from less to more up to 19 points, plus Giedraitis and Thompson at a good level, to make it 2-0.
Kevin Punter (26 points), Zach Leday (23 and 10 rebounds) and Mathias Lessort (19 and 12) were not enough to prevent the second defeat of Zeljko Obradovic’s men. Baskonia took time to warm up but did so with a bang in the second quarter, when they endorsed 32 points against the team of the award-winning Serbian coach.
The locals added troops, such as Sedekerskis and Costello, at the beginning that Giedraitis and Thompson monopolized. The success of three gave wings to the Basques (10 at the break), with Howard also very focused, while Partizan won the battle inside. The Serbs put the intensity and physicality at the start, which led the locals in tow in the first quarter.
Leday and Lessort, both close to the ‘double-double’ points and rebounds at halftime, did damage, with hardly any minutes for a Kotsar who had just been MVP of the first day. Peñarroya did not bet much on the Estonian and gave free rein to the ‘short’ successful, Baskonia arriving at the break with its maximum income (46-42).
The Basques were abandoned by the triple and although Kotsar made a feint and Giedraitis continued to contribute, the exchange in the third quarter ended with a smile for the Serbs. Kevin Punter joined the Leday-Lessort duo to put Obradovic’s men ahead.
The triples returned in time for Peñarroya’s men with Howard, with 70-70 nine minutes from the end, but Baskonia got stuck at a bad time, with a better visiting defense, forced into complicated shots with Marinkovic and few ideas. In tow, Howard showed what was coming with a first triple and Punter kept the visiting lead without the locals throwing in the towel.
Howard’s triple recalled better times at the Buesa Arena, a team with a competitive gene that left a warning to sailors. With the positive inertia of forcing extra time, Baskonia did not mind starting those five minutes 0-5, capable at times of everything, as this season may well be, to win a great match.
DATASHEET.
–RESULT: CAZOO BASKONIA, 103 – PARTIZÁN, 96. (46-42, at halftime.
–EQUIPMENT.
CAZOO BASCONY: Marinkovic (4), Thompson (11), Giedraitis (13), Hommes (5) and Kotsar (4) — starting quintet– Costello (19), Howard (33), Sedekerskis (11), Diez (11). -), Kurucs (3).
STAFF: Nunnally (13), Exum (4), Papapetrou (5), Leday (23) and Lessort (19) — the starting quintet — Punter (26), Trifunovic (-), Andjusic (-), Koprivica (-). ), Vukcevic (3), Madar (3).
–PARTIAL: 14-23, 32-19, 21-26, 22-21, 14-7.
–REFEREES: Lottermoser, Silva, Pitsilkas. Papapetrou and Exum eliminated for fouls.
–PAVILLION: Fernando Buesa Arena.
