Between the tears of liberation of Darío Brizuela after beating Barcelona and the overflowing joy of Jaime Fernández after the Canary Islands derby, only a few hours had passed, but both were connected by an invisible thread that was sewn together last summer. The summer of their lives. The one who gave them European gold with the national team and forever stripped them of doubts and fears.
Because Brizuela and Fernández, two superlative talents, had always been in the shadow of the great names of the national team until Scariolo rescued them last Eurobasket to make them part of one of the most beautiful stories in Spanish basketball. The gold of Berlin, in which everyone had a share of leadership and which left an indelible mark on their careers. In Dario’s case, because he finally felt important and decisive on a big stage; in Jaime’s, because the final put him in the spotlight with a few minutes key against France.
Those days in Georgia and Germany have moved with them to Malaga and Tenerife, where This year they shine with their own light. A leading role that has been seen in every game and that has become clear at the first changes in the Cup. Brizuela, decisive with his 27 points against Barcelona despite his personal drama; Fernández, author of 26 in the Canary Islands derby. The two strongest MVP contenders so far have Spanish passports.
Brizuela has today the most difficult yet against Real Madrid. A litmus test for the man in the quarterfinals. Then, against Barcelona, he revealed himself with a historic performance. Not only because of his 27 points, but because they came when the ball was burning and because he scored them despite having his newborn son in the hospital. “Right now he is touched by a magic wand,” said Chus Mateo yesterday, the one in charge today of designing a tactic to dry his talent.
For Jaime Fernández, scoring has been a happy routine for a long time. He has done it throughout his life, so when he finished the game and they asked him about his performance (26 points in just twenty minutes of play) he chose to downplay it. «It has been a credit to the whole team». Their game was so gigantic that even the fans of Gran Canaria, Lenovo Tenerife’s historic rival, chanted in unison the cries of!MVP MVP! from the Olympic stands.
For those choirs to come true, Tenerife and the guard still have two very tough matches left. Two pitfalls in just 48 hours. The toughness of the Cup that no longer scares Brizuela or Fernández, the two boys that Scariolo pampered last summer and who now fly almost hand in hand. Accurate as never before with the hoop. Happy to be protagonists of a Cup in which they want to leave their name engraved.
