The spectacular Fernando Buesa Arena awaits Basketball Girona this afternoon (5.00 p.m., Movistar Deportes 3) in a match of great difficulty, but which comes after a week of great wear and tear for the Victorians, who have had tough matches in the Euroleague .
The two sets do not arrive at the meeting at the best time but Aíto’s, with the complete team, have reason to be reasonably optimistic and aspire to compete on one of the most complicated tracks in the competition. The narrow defeats against Barça and Gran Canaria in recent days should not be a big upheaval for the Girona side, who despite some limitations in the squad are competing at a good level.
The overtime loss to the Canaries in Fontajau was a blow after they rallied throughout the second half, but one particularly positive aspect can be taken from it: Pierre Oriola’s great game. After a discreet debut at the Palau, the one from Tàrrega put the team on his shoulders with his work under the hoops and a triple that advanced the Girona. The Catalan finished with 10 points and 15 ratings and gave the feeling that he is gradually picking up the physical tone of his teammates.
The best version of Oriola, in addition to Gasol and Miletic, will be necessary against a Baskonia team that in the last Euroleague match against Barça recovered its reference under the paint, the American Steven Enoch.
The one from Connecticut is a physical portent that must improve the defensive performance of those from Peñarroya, who are the third worst team in the ACB in this aspect, conceding 86.75 points. In contrast, the Victorians score almost 89 points per game, just below Madrid.
To a certain extent, today’s game can be considered a duel of styles, since the Girona team are the eighth best defense (seventh without counting the points received in extra time against Gran Canaria) while in attack they are penultimate, with 74.3 points.
The Basques stand out for their versatility in attack and for having several players with external threat and ability to score a lot of points. In fact, as many as five players score more than 10 points per game. Three are outside: Markus Howard, Darius Thompson and Rokas Giedraitis.
Pivotal winger Daulton Hommes also stands out, one of the ACB’s top scorers with a 54% hit rate on three-pointers. In addition, at the interior level they have Matt Costello, a versatile pivot who also has a good hand from beyond 6.75.
Those from Vitoria have started the two competitions better than in past years and it seems that this year their ceiling is higher. But in recent weeks they have entered a more negative dynamic that can be a double-edged sword for the aspirations of Basketball Girona. Their soft defense has allowed their rivals to play strong games in attack and this has left them with no options for victory.
Not only very powerful teams like Barça, but also clearly weaker rivals who are candidates to fight for permanence with the Girona side, such as Manresa and Betis. Against these three teams, Peñarroya’s scored 97.3 points and Manresa fell after a disastrous last 5 minutes. Today Básquet Girona has the opportunity to delve even further into Vitoria’s defensive doubts. Without forgetting, of course, to stop the vast talent that the Basques have in attack.
