Baskonia was not just an "observer" in the "Vizink Center" this time, it offered much stronger resistance, but even that was not enough for the class of European champions...
The team of Montenegrin expert Duško Ivanović was once again defeated in Madrid by Real (101:90) and with a score of 0:2 travels home, where the third match of the basketball Euroleague playoffs awaits... For Baskonia, it will be a match for survival in the series, and for the Ćus Matea team, the first match ball for the final four.
The club from the Basque Country held on well during the first half, went to the break with minus six (46:40), opened the third period with a three-pointer by Nikolaos Rogavopoulos (46:43), but Real already had a double-digit advantage by the end of the quarter (74:63 )...
In the last quarter, Real "flew away" to plus 23 (93:70), Baskonia once again tried to threaten in the finish (98:88), but the home team's victory was not in question.
"One thing is very important for my team and me - tonight we showed that we can beat Real - we will see a tough match in Vitoria," Ivanovic said after the match.
Tonight, our coach and his boys had no solution for the phenomenal Fakunda Kampac, who scored 24 points and had seven assists. The great Argentinian in Real was best followed by Gershon Jabusele with 16 points.
Vanja Marinković with 20, Cody Miller McIntyre with 13 and Marcus Howard with 12 points were the most effective for Baskonia...
Another excellent match in the phenomenal atmosphere of the "OAKA Arena" was played by Panathinaikos and Maccabi - again there were good moves and reversals, but this time the home team won (95:79) and tied the series at 1:1.
On the wings of victory from the first match, Maccabi opened tonight's duel better, but Ergin Ataman's boys woke up at the end of the second quarter and went to the break with a double-digit lead of 21:3 with a 51:39 series.
In the middle of the third quarter, PAO had a plus of 17 points, and after a minute of play in the fourth quarter, Maccabi came within five points behind.
However, after Ataman's time-out, the home team once again caught the right rhythm, and with a three-point shot by Ioannis Papapetrou, they once again reached a double-digit lead (82:70) - the match was then practically settled.
The most efficient player in the winning team was Kostas Slukas with 29 points, followed by Janis Papapetrou with 15, Konstatinos Mitoglu with 14, Matias Lessor with 11 and Kendrick Nunn with 10 points.
On the other side, Lorenzo Braun recorded 18 points and six assists.
The series now moves to Belgrade, where Maccabi will host the third and fourth games.
EUROLEAGUE, QUARTERFINALS
Panathinaikos - Maccabi 95:79 (1:1)
Real - Baskonia 101:90 (2:0)
Friday
19.00h Monaco - Fenerbahce (0:1)
21.00:0 p.m. Barcelona - Olympiakos (1:XNUMX)
Bonus video:
