Real Madrid faced this second game with the suspicion of the first match, where a sublime Kyle Guy made it 0-1 in the semifinals. Although after what happened in the Euroleague, the statistics do not lessen the spirit of Chus Mateo’s men. The continental champions managed to nullify the explosiveness of the American, participating in the tug of war that endured the Joventut, which collapsed in the last quarter.
To get there, Yabusele was key, a lung in all facets of a match that leaves the series even. He finished with a PIR of 38 thanks to his 27 points, eight rebounds and a multidisciplinary extravagance. Unlike the dull Guy, whose average of 29 points was reduced to the minimum essence of five points.
Impetus of Madrid and comeback of Joventut
the white set He shot out and easily reached 7-0, led by the exuberance of Yabusele in all facets of the game. Only Vives was able to break the bloodletting. In the opening bars, Guy did not seem the same. youth he started with a poor 1 of 5 shooting from two and 0 of 3 from triples.
Real Madrid raised their defensive performance. Each ‘Penya’ player who advanced with the controlled ball had a mark on it. Hanga was the great gag of a team that Poirier joined five seconds to go in the first quarter. End to the inactivity that began in the second match against Partizan.
Yabusele’s strength that changes everything
Carles Durán’s instructions worked to narrow the score to 11-9. When the madridistas found themselves tight, Yabusele He imposed his strength to redimension the differences. The second quarter started at 22-14. It was a temperamental period, with many losses and actions like the triple with a ‘single’ eye of Parra. The Joventut forward received an elbow from his teammate Ellenson and had to play with a remedy.
His face, the faithful reflection of the visiting combat. Resilience by flag, as demonstrated Happy Andrewwho as response to a Tavares stopper He scored a great basket under the board and a triple that put the Catalan team ahead for the first time by two for the break. Thirteen points for the Dominican in the second quarter. The situation forced Chus Mateo to ask for a time out that did not have the desired effect. Only Yabusele understood what the party needed. At halftime they reached a 36-40 favorable to ‘Penya’, who did not need Kyle Guy.
Guy’s drowning and the weight of seniority
Durán asked his team for only one thing after the restart and it was not to suffer a stormy start like the one in the first quarter. Just what the Joventut coach did not expect happened, that started commanded by Hanga with a much more intense defense. Meanwhile, Yabusele shoots and was right in every way to charge the Catalan team with fouls. In just four minutes, the visitors accumulated five violations.
Tomic, out; Madrid, winner
Would the awakening of Kyle Guy come? Halfway through the third quarter came his first triple. Faced with shooting anxiety, the man from Indiana sought to get the ball off and the pressure off him by assisting his teammates. There was no rest in the exchange of blows. Two to go in the third periodChus Mateo stopped the match after an anthological triple by Ellenson that put Joventut ahead (56-59).
The European champion reacted with another shot of three, this time from Chacho Rodríguez. The value of seniority was put at stake and left the resolution from 63-59. In the last quarter, Real Madrid finally found the balance it needed between physical defense and control in transitions. With Guy definitely dead, Chus Mateo’s men activated the direct to widen the differences to double digits that remained. On the way to defeat he got lost Tomic, eliminated after a technique. The series travels evenly to Badalona.