Madrid qualified for the semifinal with an agonizing victory against Valencia Basket

Madrid soon took the reins of the game. Better position in the field than Valencia Basket took the first rents with Tavares y Deck inside the zone (16-9).

Mumbrú had to stop the game, aware that his men started the game with too much tension. Although the whites, with a Tavares controlling the offensive rim, achieved a maximum of 9 (18-9). Valencia tried to stay in the game despite the clear white domain after the first 10 minutes (21-13).

Changes in Madrid

Mateo introduced changes and the team did not suffer. With Llull, Hanga and Hezonja, the white pressure continued high and the difference soon went to 16 points, the highest in the first half (31-15). The whites scored very easily although he appeared Jasiel Rivero to the rescue of the ‘taronja’.

Two consecutive actions of the Cuban reduced the rent to only 8 (31-23). The white coach had to call his men to chapter and the reaction was immediate. Two actions by Hezonja, very active in the second quarter, returned the white income at 13 (39-26).

Valencia did not give up and a partial 0-6 in the last moments with triple ‘in extremis’ by Prepelic, He left the income in just seven at halftime for Madrid (41-34) and the game was still open for the second half.

Effective ‘orange’ zone

Mumbrú introduced a zone after the break and his bet paid off. Madrid had more doubts in attack and the Tarojna reaction brought them to just five points (45-40). Madrid reacted (51-42) but it was already another Valencia.

With the prompting of Jones, those of Mumbrú made the whites doubt who saw Valencia approach just two points (60-58). At the end of the third quarter, Madrid was still alive (63-58) but the duel was more open than ever.

And Madrid survived by a miracle. The whites got stuck in the final quarter, giving Valencia the option to take the game. The Jones-Harper duo did a lot of damage to Madrid, which saw Mumbrú’s team take the lead (79-81) but was unable to consolidate that advantage.

In the last action of the match, Jones had the winning shot on two occasions, but the ball did not go in and Madrid survived to reach the semifinals agonizingly (86-85).