A Girona Básquet without ideas in the decisive moments suffered a painful defeat against a more intelligent Breogán (66-73). In a very tight match and with very short advantages for both teams, Aíto’s men were better at the decisive period and it seemed that they could even escape with a 61 to 54 seven minutes from the end. But here a stellar Nenadic has appeared for the visitors, and Girona doubts in attack to end up overturning the result.
The first advantages were due to a Breogán who made Girona hesitate at the start with a zonal defense (0-4), but Aíto’s had the patience to decipher it and quickly overturned the result, thanks to Prkacin, a rebound from Fjellerup and a counterattack from Taylor (6-4). The Girona players were intense in defense and knew how to read the advantages in attack to take the first significant difference, now with a basket from Gasol after an almost involuntary pass from Franch (13-6). Breogán broke the partial with three free throws, but Básquet Girona was very comfortable under the hoop and with positive actions from a great Prkacin, and from Sorolla, in addition to a shot from Taylor, they escaped by 10 points (19-9). Only on the basis of free throws did the Galicians stay alive at the end of the first quarter (21-14).
The second period did not start well for Girona, who saw how a Breogán now more intense in defense and with clearer ideas in attack needed little more than two minutes to almost equalize the score (22-21). Aíto asked for a timeout, but he could not stop the bad moment of his players. With two three-pointers from García and Nakic, the Galicians were ahead (22-27), and Gasol had to appear with a 2+1 that he could not complete from the free kick to lift Fontajau’s spirits (25-27) . The Girona team ran into one of their main deficits, the triple, time and time again. They accumulated a 0/9 after the first shot scored by Taylor, and Breogán took advantage of it to achieve the maximum difference (27-33). After another timeout from the Madrid coach, Gasol put the team on his shoulders and, now, he broke the deadlock from beyond 6.75 after an offensive rebound (32-33). The visiting gunner, Scotth Bamforth, responded with another three-pointer, but two Galician mistakes from the line and a fundamental Prkacin left the deficit at just two points at the break (34-36). +
In the resumption, the two teams started exchanging baskets, but it seemed that, at last, Aíto’s team found some solidity in the launch with triples by Gasol and Taylor that turned the result. In addition, Sorolla did a good job in the paint, drawing fouls and adding three points from the line that gave Girona a minimal but very valuable advantage (47-44). The match entered a phase of strong inaccuracy from both teams that ended up favoring the Galicians more, since they managed to leave the good moments of Básquet Girona in almost nothing. With a counterattack, Breogán took the lead again, but Fontajau’s team reached the decisive period with positive feelings thanks to two free throws by Oriola and a basket by Gasol (55-52).
The moment of truth was coming and it seemed that Aíto’s men were coming out with the mindset to add the third win of the season. With a partial 6 to 0, they achieved a very valuable advantage of 7 points (61-54). It was the ideal time to break the game and avoid suffering at the end. But a stellar Nenadic appeared for the visitors, who added to Girona’s offensive anxiety, turned the game upside down like a sock (61-65). Marc Gasol gave hope with a 2+1 in the middle of a chaotic attack and ignited Fontajau, and Prkacin turned the score around again (66-65). Each Galician attack took place amid a deafening scream and gave the feeling that the Breogán noticed it, with a very thick attack. But Básquet Girona was also infected, and in a series of attacks with many nerves and few clear ideas, it was too easy for Lugo’s team to regain control. They did it with a triple from their great shooter Scott Bamforth 40 seconds from the end, after an unforgivable defensive lapse by Girona (66-68). All was not lost yet, but another blistering attack and an unsportsmanlike foul on the next play ended any hope.
