Lucas Sáez-BravoSpecial envoy Málaga
Special envoy Malaga
Updated Friday, February 16, 2024-23:19
The trap match was. The last quarterfinal match was exciting, a battle of height, intensity and fireworks, emotion and final surprise. Unicaja, local and champion, capable of winning 17 of the last 18 games in ACB, of surprising with its basketball to challenging the established order, was fleeced by the efficiency and competitiveness of Lenovo Tenerife. A team, that of
Txus Vidorreta
, who, evidently, were not going to give up at Carpena and who this Saturday will seek the final against Barça. [83-91: Narration and statistics]
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He fit like a seasoned boxer. He absorbed Unicaja's attacks, played with his nerves and surrendered to his own virtues. To the years of lessons from
Marcelinho Huertas
or
Shermadini
, to the gunpowder of
Kyle Guy
, the new boy in the office, and, above all, to the man of the night, another veteran ready to sign a memorable performance.
Aaron Doornekamp
did not miss a single one of his shots, six of six in triples, 25 precious points, torture for Unicaja.
From dawn, everything was hectic. Unicaja started without looking back, with that angry game that has made them fearsome.
Ibon Navarro
's plan
, throw quickly, run at the smallest gap, intensity to overwhelm the opponent. The paradigm was
Dylan Osetkowski
: he scored 12 of the locals' first 15 points, in the blink of an eye. As fast as the response, as Doornekamp matched him, identical numbers, the gunfighters' duel was beautiful.
Unicaja hit seven of its first 10 triples, 26 points in eight minutes, but there it stopped almost cold. It was Vidorreta's trap, with the wisdom of his experience, as much as some of his pupils, Marcelinho,
Fitipaldo
or Shermadini, brutal competitors who are not intimidated by the stage or by the rival. When the green revolutions dropped, Tenerife was there, commanding (38-44) with the emergence of Kyle Guy, the recently signed sniper.
Djedovic's triple
But it was a good local fight, with two dubious fouls by Huertas that unnerved the always volcanic Vidorreta, who lifted Carpena before the break, an 11-1 final set, crowned with a triple on the horn from Djedovic
to
give the advantage to Unicaja. That was going to increase on the return, six more points without response for the first (and only) moment of crisis (55-45) for the visitor, solved by the islanders with a stroke of a pen. It was the key to the game.
Because they have seven lives. And Aaron Doornekamp, at 38 years old, one of the nights of his career. The Canadian power forward, completely in style, revitalized his team, a 0-10 return, like a slap, to get into the battle, also Guy with a hot wrist. The night in Malaga was like a street fight, with two fighters as exhausted as they were excited. Unicaja tempered his nerves - the last MVP Copero had disappeared: zero points for
Tyson Carter
- and his expectations with the offensive rebound (
Kravish
, dominant there), which gave him encouragement in the unbearable equality.
That it was going to break at the finish line. The silent efficiency of Shermadini in the paint, a brutal dunk from
Cook
and, finally, a basket like ice in hell from Guy (23 points and seven assists) against a Unicaja that saw how its dreams were diluted, how the stands were filled of sleepless nights, as what happened a year ago in Badalona came to an end.