Real Madrid is one step away from the ACB final, one win away from ending the fierce opposition of Joventut, in a series in which it has had no choice but to wake up and adapt its intensity to what the rival demanded. Because the green-blacks showed in the first round that they are willing to do anything. In Badalona, what seemed the widest and simplest triumph of the European champion, a bolt in defense and a dagger in attack with the talents of Musa, Yabusele and Hezonja, was ruined by local self-love and its own relaxation: an incredible partial of 36-11 almost propitiates a historic comeback. [73-83: Narrative and statistics]

The Madrid of the Olympic went with a less sweet aftertaste, because even Chus Mateo had to rescue his props from the bench to avoid greater evils. That end without surrender of Joventut shows the competitive character of a team that did not even give up in the abyss. Because everything that his rival had shown, an absolute superiority, was tarnished in a finish line so as not to give everything for closed yet.

With the current in favor, the offensive class Dzanan Musa (25 points in 23 minutes) is unapproachable. Another thing for him is, at the moment, when the fighting is on the edge. On the return to the changing rooms, with a good advantage carved from his defensive concentration and seriousness and Joventut hesitating for the first time, the Bosnian put on his boots. He wounded of all colors, chained 10 points only interrupted by a triple from Hanga and definitively shot Real Madrid to its second victory. In the blink of an eye, that Penya that had caused him so many headaches so far, was dominated by 30 (37-67).

Tavares, without pitching

Durán had recognized his horrible first part – "we played very badly" – without a trace of Tomic, who also gave an ugly elbow to Yabusele, or Joel Parra. Kyle Guy's points were the only thing to hold onto. And a reaction that was going to come too late. Because Madrid had smelled blood. And that this time he did not have to resort too much to the paint as an attacking resource: Tavares did not have to throw ...

In the third quarter it seemed that what was given was over. The Joventut had stayed at 43 points and everyone started thinking about the next challenge. Especially visitors. Mateo opted to rest, but it was the substitutes of the Penya, with Andrés Feliz at the controls, who did not relax so much. They came to place five with 1:40 remaining, although that's as far as the matter went.

Another conclusion is that Real Madrid is comfortable at home. He has been demonstrating this in recent weeks. There, away from WiZink, the Eleventh was forged, with those two historic victories in Belgrade and the other two in Kaunas. He also won in Gran Canaria and now in Badalona. In fact, it has not been knocked out since April 16 -Barça in ACB-, nine wins in a row. One more and will be in the final of the Endesa League, in search of the double.

  • Real Madrid
  • Badalona

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