Marc Gasol's Girona ascends to the ACB after beating Estudiantes (66-60)

There are successes that are marked by collective work and others by individual talent.

The one from Bàsquet Girona, who this Sunday certified a historic promotion to the ACB, will be remembered because Marc Gasol, founder and president of the club, and hero to his fans;

he decided one day to go down to the field to turn a losing team into an elite one.

Against Estudiantes, in the final of the qualifying rounds for promotion to the highest category of basketball (66-60), the center played limping due to his battered knee in the semifinals, but he helped keep the spirits and the game of a team that starts and ends in him.

His contribution after the break was decisive, especially when Estudiantes fell to two points with two minutes to go thanks to a great Beiran.

Girona smelled relegation in November.

He added only two victories in the first nine days and Marc Gasol changed the management suit for sports shoes.

A federation record was awarded and the team soared: 23 wins in the following 29 games.

The most important, the final, was also won in a more choral than individual meeting.

The next challenge is to convince Gasol, who has not yet decided on his future, to stay one more year in the elite, this time to compete in the ACB, the competition that made him a star before exploding in the NBA. .

"Today is a day to celebrate, not to decide," he assured after the game.

Marc Gasol's relationship with Girona goes back a long way.

The Catalan was a young promise without minutes at Barcelona who went to Akasvayu Girona in 2006 to progress.

His adaptation to the city was as fast as his growth as a player.

He was chosen MVP of the ACB League in 2008, and during his time in the NBA (2008-2021) he always hinted that he wanted to finish his career in the city.

In 2014 he founded the Bàsquet Girona club (which has nothing to do with Akasvayu, which disappeared in 2012) with educational aims, and in 2017 he created the senior team.

After finishing his journey in North America, he increased his dedication to his club, until in November he put on his shoes to straighten the sporting situation.

Playing with Gasol is not the same as playing without him.

The final began to be played when the semifinals finished, especially in the medical services of the Catalan club.

The mission was clear: to pamper the star's knee so that it could reach heads or tails against Estudiantes as best as possible after retiring lame against Lleida.

His presence was a sporting issue as well as a moral one.

“Without Marc we have no options”, admitted the Girona fans.

Marc was on the track and Girona breathed.

The center started but did not feel comfortable at the beginning, especially in defensive movements and the fight for the rebound.

And sometimes it happens that the absence of the greatest is filled with the smallest contributions: Girona clenched their fists in defense, the help multiplied and the perimeter players fine-tuned their periscope from the three-point line.

Fjellerup (seven points in the first five minutes; 17 in total) and Vecvagars (nine at half-time) took on the Catalan attack.

It was not enough to initially submit to a tough Students who also found more spaces.

Larssen and Durisic became even bigger in the area and Beiran joined in the dirty work (five rebounds at halftime).

The schoolboys clearly dominated the offensive rebound (seven in the intermission, by one from Girona) and took advantage of the second chances in each played.

It seemed that life was going to them.

The promotion was coming.

Girona lived on triple.

A series of two almost consecutive hits by Vecvagars gave Girona the first big lead (20-30) with four minutes to go before the break, but Estudiantes responded with a run of 10-4 after a Dee basket at the buzzer (30 -34 in the intermission).

The break sat down especially for Girona and its star.

Gasol came out and came to a boil.

He recovered the defensive spark (he added four steals and four rebounds, for a total PIR of 18) and ignited Fontajau, dedicated from the start in a historic weekend for the city (the football team aspires tonight for promotion to First division).

Three consecutive plays of three points fired Girona in a brilliant third quarter (24-17 in their favor) and entered the decisive quarter with an 11-point advantage (58-47) after winning by 14. Beirán pulled the car with a last arreón and turned the last quarter into an endless trench;

but Gasol returned to the field for history to speak of Marc in his club's first promotion to ACB.

The cross was taken by Estudiantes, who will experience another year of mourning in the LEB League after being relegated for the first time last year from the ACB.

The schoolboys had promotion as their main objective due to history, budget and staff, but the Gasol factor was insurmountable.

The irregularity has accompanied the collegiate team all season.

He lost the option of direct promotion after finishing second behind Granada, champion;

after falling in five of the six games played against the top four finishers (Granada, Girona and Palencia).

The club had doubts at the end of April because the numbers did not come out.

He dismissed José Ramón Cuspinera when he was one victory away from the leader and hired Diego Epifanio, with two promotions to the highest category under his belt with San Pablo Burgos (2017) and Río Breogán (2020) to reverse the situation.

He almost got it, but Gasol stopped him.

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