The Penya dilutes itself in Vitoria

BadalonaAsisa Joventut wanted to make a big splash, but fell short in Vitoria (85-71). La Penya couldn't compete against the physical level of Kosner Baskonia, who took advantage of the last quarter to wear down the green-and-black team and leave them with no options. "We competed for 30 minutes, but we ended up below the minimums. Our legs and heads failed us against an opponent with more gas," summarized Dani Miret.

The first half was very even. La Penya took advantage of Ricky Rubio's productivity, good percentages on two-point shots, and dominance in rebounds to reach halftime with an open scenario (38-37). Dani Miret tactically shook up the game during a third period in which he introduced a zone defense and put Simon Birgander and Yannis Morin on the court together. Additionally, the green-and-black team found the outside shooting accuracy they had lacked in the first half. Rubio's third personal foul complicated the coach's strategy, but the Badalona team played with maturity to reach the final ten minutes with a minimal advantage (59-60).

The situation became complicated for Joventut with four minutes left, when Baskonia raised the physical level of the game (77-66). Paolo Galbiati found the formula to stop Rubio's genius and, with it, Penya's scoring, who could only add 11 points in the last period.

Valencia Basket recovered from a 13-point deficit in the final minutes to overcome Surne Bilbao and claim the first victory in their playoff series (83-80).

Barça hosts UCAM Murcia this Thursday (7 PM, Esport3 and DAZN). If the Catalan team wins, they will qualify for the semifinals. If not, they will have another opportunity on Saturday. Real Madrid, on the other hand, is obliged to secure a victory on the court of La Laguna Tenerife (9 PM, DAZN) to avoid elimination.