Real Madrid managed to qualify for the final of the 2021-2022 Endesa League this Tuesday after also winning the third game of their semifinal ‘Playoff’ for the title against Bitci Baskonia, whom they beat at the Fernando Buesa Arena by 77- 85, in a new show of superiority and that served to send encouragement to his coach, Pablo Laso.
Despite the scare of the heart attack of the Vitorian, applauded before the game by the public at the moment of remembrance that there was for his figure before the initial jump, and still diminished in the point guard position, the Madrid team once again dominated a rival, for which the great game of Wade Baldwin IV (26 points) was not enough to try to extend the series to Thursday.
Real Madrid always sent in the electronic. From very early on with comfortable rents that forced the locals to go against the current and spend their least energy against the visitors, where the figure of Walter Tavares (23 points and 12 rebounds for a PIR of 36) grew, well supported by Gaby Deck (17 and 8), Adam Hanga (18) and Fabien Causeur (14), three of his teammates in the starting five. Now, he will be able to rest while waiting for the other finalist to be decided, who will come out of the duel between Barça and Joventut who, at least, will go to the fourth game.
Chastened by the first two games, Baskonia decided to raise their level of intensity in search of lengthening the series. It was the best news for him because his rival was not intimidated and clung to his exterior success to dominate from the start.
With Causeur on point (10 points) and a 4/4 to start from the triple, the Madrid team escaped (10-18). Neven Spahija stopped him and his team threatened to recover, but had no outside success (4/16), quite the opposite of the visitors, who with a new triple (Rudy Fernández) closed the first quarter above ten ( 14-25).
The disadvantage did not dampen the spirit of the Baskonia, who clung to Baldwin to recover their options. The American base was the most toned as reflected by his 16 points at halftime, 10 of them in a second quarter where his team improved in defense.
Real Madrid had to change their script and without the possibility of finding the triples, they tried to punish from the inside, first with Vincent Poirier (6 points) and then with Tavares, once again unstoppable and who scored the last six visiting points of the second quarter to break a drought of more than three minutes without scoring which, together with the momentum of Baldwin and Fontecchio, allowed Baskonia to come close to the break (36-41).
After passing through changing rooms, the scenario did not change too much. Baldwin continued to pull on his own, but Tavares made his figure even bigger on the two hoops. The pivot contributed eleven points, with unusual baskets in his repertoire and from distance, to take off again on the scoreboard for Chus Mateo’s men.
Losses were the worst enemy of a Real Madrid that did damage again with its attack, with several ‘2 1’s and with a Deck that also began to appear. Baldwin was then again the best response of the Baskonia team, still far away for the decisive ten minutes (53-66).
Spahija’s men continued to row in search of the comeback and found good moments from Jayson Granger to believe again. Six consecutive points from the Uruguayan, including a steal, and a technique to Hanga narrowed the score again (64-69) and woke up the Buesa Arena.
It was a mirage. Real Madrid was not daunted and replied with a 0-6 run, with offensive rebounds that did a lot of damage and allowed them to catch their breath (64-75). Another one that Deck took was transformed by the Argentine in an almost decisive triple (66-78) and one, as distant as the one he scored in the second game, by Hanga ended the emotion and the series.
