There, in the background, trying to be reborn, follows the character Baskonia. The one that made a team legendary that is now stumbling, although from time to time it has stupidity of strength, more with Dusko Ivanovic back . Since May (Zalgiris) had been Real Madrid without losing in the Palace and had to be the old rival who is now licking his wounds - without a cup, sunk in the Euroleague ... -, the one who ended the streak, the one who rummaged in the white gap, three career losses suddenly. [94-95: Narration and statistics]

It was an inexplicable battle, as exciting as crazy. With punctual heroes and flashy fights, as both coaches could not tolerate such disconnections. If Madrid dawned like a cyclone, in the end they did not rescue him or those miracles - almost always starring Llull -, which many parties raised. 31 games later, the WiZink fell .

Who would have said it when the rival that was always a headache, seemed this time an aspirin. When Madrid -which came from his tragic week in Moscow, two defeats (CSKA and Khimki) that cut his streak in Euroleague - dealt Baskonia 32 points in the first act, dominating up to 15 (25-10), with a start of deep gas from Facundo Campazzo - he surpassed, with seven, his triple record.

It was a frantic dawn, as if wanting to break dynamics and scare off possible ghosts. And that Rudy, newly renovated, also did not dress this time (neither Randolph, nor Mickey ...). Campazzo dominated, Garuba dried Shengelia and the triples entered with great ease. Until Pierria Henry said enough in an equally powerful way and the party boiled.

He coincided with the entry into court of a Laprovittola that so often fails to maintain the strength of the team. The French base tormented him with a full display of character and power. He went to rest with 19 points and his dreadlocks roaming the Palace. A fleeting comeback, because Madrid stayed in six goals throughout the second quarter (its worst home mark in the history of the ACB), again stuck, with Fall facing Tavares, with the rebound as a nightmare. It was precisely the first basket of Shengelia's party that turned the crash around.

Basketball goes so much for sensations. Of those who try to recover Baskonia, in which Madrid does not want to sink, that January does not become a slope. But the second room had been a spring for the first and a couch for the locals. Even Henry's thigh injury - who later returned - was no major problem for a Baskonia who now had the confidence of him. Shengelia, who had risen tremulous, was already a leader (not even a second of rest on the bench granted him Dusko). He scored his first triple after 15 accumulated failures. And those of Ivanovic - his anger on the bench at Stauskas , an entire NBA, was anthological - they rose powerful as before (52-59).

But the duel, strange, without script to stick to, apotheosic, was a sway. Like a roller coaster, some went up and others went down. What it looked like now, soon turned to the contrary. If Real Madrid kicked off the final act (17-7), the Baskonist response was going to be final. He replied with another partial (3-17), with several key actions of Stauskas , and the anger was forgotten. And neither the five faults of Henry and Fall, nor their very short rotation, nor the two triple in extremis of Llull could already with the Baskonia. Again a mate from Shengelia, like a few days ago against Barça, was going to be the song of the one who wants to be the one he was again. "With Ivanovic we have recovered the desire to fight," concluded the Georgian.

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