The Baskonia character devours Valencia | sports

Baskonia will play the ninth league final in their history after defeating Valencia at La Fonteta with an exercise in defensive voracity (73-75). Ivanovic’s riding crop transformed his team at halftime and the hosts, weighed down by casualties, were unable to find fissures in the rival wall. The genuine Baskonia character could with the effort culture orange. A matter of personality, greed and millimeters, which deflected Loyd’s triple ending that crashed into the hoop. Those of Ponsarnau were obfuscated from the perimeter (14 of 41) and found no antidote for either Dragic (21 points), Shengelia (17), or Shields (13). Ten years after his last league title, Baskonia, again against Barça and again with Dusko, will seek to reopen the showcase. “We already lost in the first phase with them. We will see now, “said the Montenegrin coach after the crash. Did they make the perfect defense in the second half? They asked him. “It was not perfect, but it was very good,” he resolved demanding. With only 13 points conceded in a crucial third quarter, the Vitorian troops sealed the pass to the final by clenching their teeth in defense and devouring their rival in attack.

Valencia and Baskonia settled the pass to the final and also the vigor of their brand. In that second hierarchy of Spanish basketball, which one day fell to the deserving nurseries of Joventut and Students, oranges (a league title and a runner-up) and Vitorians (three titles and five runners-up) were fighting against Barça for an exceptional win, for putting another notch in a track record forged on the lookout for the slips of the two greats. Face to face, the best attack and the best defense of the tournament. “We cannot allow them to play their way,” Dusko Ivanonic asked his troop on the run. “We have to be dynamic to make them run after us,” said Ponsarnau to set the pace for operations. The Valencian coach wanted concentration without losses so as not to give away options to his rival’s sharp counterattack. And in that pulse a first quarter of high revolutions was debated.

Baskonia accumulated ailments during the first phase, but it had been classified since Tuesday. Valencia sealed their pass just 48 hours before and also added the important loss of Abalde with little room for maneuver. From the fight between Tobey and Shengelia the center was reinforced orange and, thanks to their dominance on the rebound (13-5) in the first 10 minutes, those of Ponsarnau took the first advantages (17-12, 10 meters). Ivanovic moved token, with Polonara to prop the rings and Vildoza to unblock the board, but Doornekamp’s powerful relief (8 points in his first four minutes) consolidated the host’s initiative (29-20, m. 14). Baskonia was slow to hit the key, but it was Dragic who unleashed his legs and head. With 11 points in a breath, the Slovenian signed an express reclosure that came just as fast as it was gone. Three minutes passed from 31-28 to 41-30 that Labeyrie placed with a triple that ended in a chill. The Frenchman landed on Shengelia’s foot and bent his right ankle with a poor prognosis. It did not return. That action and another triple by Dragic (14 of the 21 points in the second quarter) were the only setbacks of a firm Valencia (42-33, m. 20).

However, Ivanovic’s spur transformed doubts into toughness. Baskonia were recognized through defensive intensity and, with a 0-8 partial, they held on to the fight. The consecutive triples of San Emeterio and Dubljevic served to contain the flood but, with the reinforcements of Eric and Shields, the team from Vitoria turned the score and the sensations in 10 minutes of competitive fury (55-56, m. 30 after a 13- 2. 3). Motum was not Labeyrie, Loyd was not entirely Loyd, and Shields instead picked up Dragic’s wake. Basketball gave way to character and the ticket to the final became a matter of stretching the threshold of agony. Van Rossom proudly emerged to the rescue of Valencia, but Shields’ third triple brought Baskonia on target.

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