Madrid remakes itself against Joventut

ACB - semifinal - matchday 2

Real Madrid

90 73

Finalized

Joventut Badalona

Madrid turned off Kyle Guy, very guarded all night, and climbed on the back of Yabusele (27 points, eight rebounds and three blocks) to match (1-1) the semifinals of the ACB before traveling to Badalona, which this Saturday (18.30) hosts the third duel of the series – Barça receives Unicaja this Friday with 1-0 in favor.

More failures than successes in a start with a lot of ball spat by the hoop. Until Yabusele began to move his huge body inside and out, to block and to score. His were the first seven white points (7-0). La Penya does not find her hero, Guy, very well handcuffed by Hanga, who followed him on the trail like his shadow with a melee marking. Chus Mateo had ordered to tighten the screws in defense, especially against the Indiana shooter, and Joventut could not carburete: only two points in five minutes (11-2) until Carles Durán's timeout. Without their best gunner, the green-and-black team was awakened by Joel Parra, with a protection in the right eye after the blow of the first game, signing a triple and a steal to Musa. The unstoppable Yabusele followed his own (12 points in the first quarter), seconded by his partner Tavares to drill the zone (22-14).

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Back from the break, another triple missed by Guy, and another, now defended by Rudy. The hot doll, and a ton of character, was Parra's to hit from a distance. In Madrid, Hezonja had connected after a couple of errors in the distant shots, and the recovered Poirier gave rest to Tavares (31-25). With the Whites at the wheel, Guy debuted from the free kicks (Causeur had taken over in his vigilance) and Andrés Feliz asked for the ball for him. The Dominican base, a powder of 1.83m, did not shrink even before the huge Tavares (2.20m), in front of which he scored by pumping his throw and then facing back to his board. Hezonja did not stop protesting the fouls until he won a technique. Feliz ran, penetrated and sang bingo from the triple. A partial of 2-14 turned the score and sent the Penya to the break ahead (36-40).

Madrid increased the defensive voltage to grow from the recovery of balls and surrender to the legs and arms of Yabusele (46-42). Then, midway through the third quarter, came Kyle Guy's first bingo from three-point, dribbling past Hanga. Joventut, however, suffered inside because the physical exuberance of Tavares and Yabusele had a difficult response. Elleson came out of that forbidden territory and with two joys from the perimeter restored equality (59-59). La Penya stretched once again its stupendous resistance. Chus Mateo's group responded with a zone defense to plug that hole and found more clairvoyance to attack when it was put in the hands of Sergio Rodríguez.

Joventut needed Guy's production, but it wasn't his night (five points and one of five on three-pointers) after three stellar performances, this time more focused on the pass than the net. A triple from Rudy and an unsportsmanlike foul on Tomic rounded off a 74-61 that was already a very steep hill for the visitors. In the whites there were many itching hands. The mountain was already too high for the Penya when Tomic was eliminated after receiving a technical claim for a foul. With 1-1, the semifinals will live in Badalona the next two episodes.

REAL MADRID, 90; JOVENTUT, 73

Real Madrid: Williams-Goss (6), Musa (5), Hanga (6), Yabusele (27), Tavares (11) —starting quintet—; Rudy Fernández (6), Hezonja (15), Poirier (6), Sergio Rodríguez (6), Llull (2), Causeur (0).

Joventut: Vives (2), Guy (5), Parra (13), Brodziansky (0), Tomic (12) —initial quintet—; Ellenson (17), Birgander (3), Feliz (15), Busquets (6), Jordi Rodríguez (0).

Partial: 22-14, 14-26, 27-19 and 27-14.

Referees: Hierrezuelo, Jiménez and Fernández. They eliminated Tomic after an unsportsmanlike and a technique.
WiZink Center. 9,468 spectators.

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