Campazzo suffocates Murcia and puts Madrid in the semifinals of the Copa del Rey

Copa del Rey

- quarterfinals - matchday 1

real Madrid

84 79

Finalized

UCAM Murcia

It was a moment of happiness and flashes, of letting out a liberating cry.

Hanging as he was from the hoop, Ennis uncorked a Profidén smile to land on the ground and claim the encouragement of his fans while he received hugs from his teammates.

It was the illusion of the Cup, thinking that David could beat Goliath because the tie was a narrow 56-53.

It was Murcia's gazuza.

It was time to sing “yes we can!”

It was, however, a chimera because Campazzo appeared and because this Real Madrid has made victory a routine.

He is already in the semifinals.

The white team began with the hyperspace button pressed, determined to show that the previous season's defeat against Unicaja was a mistake, that this season there is no one to blame them and that the Cup trophy is more theirs (28 laurels) than from no other (Barça has 27).

Deck, Yabusele and Musa took advantage of the electricity that Campazzo provided in the attacks to signify themselves with the inside game, a dance that seemed to portend the worst for Murcia.

But Todorovic, his character on the boil, explained the opposite.

He grew with the battle in the low post while expressing himself from the perimeter to take Tavares out of his comfort zone.

It was the same for him to stop Musa and put a block on Campazzo than to grab an offensive rebound or score a three-pointer.

Seven points that encouraged his team (13-13), that unleashed dreams.

But Deck denied the major where Todorovic could not multiply and Madrid closed the event with authority (25-17).

More information

In the Cup, everyone against Real Madrid

The white sprint was indigestible for Radions Kurucs who, with a bad face and a good wrist, took the revelation in Murcia's leadership, fueled by the fans and accompanied by two dunks from Diagne.

Plays that raised the fan but did not knock down Madrid, especially because Hezonja, a player who catches the ball and throws the ball, lived up to his nickname of Super Mario and put on the cape.

And although the first shots didn't go in, afterwards it was an ode to his aim - 10 points in the quarter -, a precision machine;

also a slap in the face for Murcia, who was heading somewhat groggily into the interval (44-34).

The atmosphere heated up during the restart when Chus Mateo, with excessive tension, requested a couple of reviews that the referees did not validate.

Protests that were copied from the Murcia bench when Tavares slapped Todorovic.

It happened, however, that the Montenegrin demanded calm and peace, which was not a big deal either.

He wanted to play, he wanted more ball and fewer distractions.

A gesture that Carpena and the sport applauded, an incentive for Caupain to shoot from the periphery, also for Ennis to hang from the hoop and smile from ear to ear when the epilogue remained (63-56).

Llull intended with his triples – he already has the most in the Cup (65) ahead of Navarro (63) – to finish the story.

But Todorovic beat the copper under the hoop, Ennis continued with his recital and the “yes we can!” was echoed from the stands.

But Campazzo, who understood Deck wonderfully, showed his character and turned a deaf ear to claim the ball and the spotlight, basketball at a thousand revolutions, a spectacle without brackets.

Any gap was enough for him to attack the rim, to charge the rival with fouls, to finally dismantle a Murcia that ended up lowering its arms and recognizing that Madrid, when it gets going, is very much Madrid.

Theorem that Murcia questioned but that Campazzo ended up validating.

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