Real Madrid will play the final of the Endesa League after beating Barça this Sunday (92-95) at the Palau Blaugrana, in the third game of a Playoff semifinal series that was more even than the two played in the Spanish capital but which had the same result, with a Real Madrid that went to the fight for the title on the fast track and without paying a toll in Barcelona.
Barça tried to force Real Madrid to stay longer in the Catalan capital, but the whites were in a hurry to get into the final. The award? Rest after Final 4 of the Euroleague and see from television if Unicaja or UCAM Murcia was their rival in the final. And they achieved it thanks to a great game by Facundo Campazzo, who put his team on his back.
With 90-92 on the scoreboard and with 22 seconds remaining, ‘Facu’ got among three rivals, sneaking away from everyone as if he were a mouse among several cats incapable of neutralizing him. And he scored and there he put an end to a game that he did not want to end, with a last minute that seemed eternal, but in which the whites had everything in their favor with a 92-95 with the same formula as at the WiZink Center; high score and Real Madrid in hammer mode.
The Blaugranas, who arrived alive at halftime (45-49) despite losing by 13 in the first half, were able to turn the game around in the third period, which was also theirs (31-23) and with a mental change that led to the script twist. If until then Real Madrid had the lead, with a firm game, Barça went further from the triple and left the refereeing behind somewhat to be able to reach the last quarter with 76-72, with a final triple by Ricky Rubio who I hadn’t thrown anything away until then.
And Rubio wanted to continue partying in a Barça team that got into a bonus in just 2 minutes; a good problem to deal with against a Real Madrid clean of fouls. Things were balanced, but Barça once again became confused at the level of success at the key moment. In fact, there were 2 minutes of ‘blank’ for both in the final stretch and, when the wrists should have been warmer, Barça froze.
Laprovittola tried to make his team and the stands dream with a triple that made the score 90-87. There was a lot left to go, 2:30 minutes, and there Campazzo did his thing and won the duel, the final, for his team. His were the baskets of 90-92 and 90-94, his was the victory. Barça attempted the agonizing comeback to the epic, but ‘Lapro’ and Jabari Parker – by far the best Blaugrana, with 27 points – failed and hopes faded. The final free kicks were white and Real Madrid went authoritatively, using their experience, to the final.
The match could be summarized like this; ‘Barça lasted 3:23 minutes’. The time from the initial jump until the referees whistled an unsportsmanlike call in favor of Real Madrid. There the Palau exploded, because just before, an unsportsmanlike behavior by the whites was claimed that was not called. And the players became obsessed with protesting and forgot to play. At Real Madrid, quite the opposite. Since this unsportsmanlike situation they went from 7-2 at that time to 7-14 (partial 0-12) and Chus Mateo’s team went even further.
So much so that they led by 11 (17-28) in the first quarter, with great success from a distance and with two triples from Yabusele included. The kind that he shoots in slow motion but with more and more confidence, without his defender ever bothering him on either occasion. Example that at Real Madrid they looked at the basket with confidence and, at Barça, they looked more at those in orange than at those in white.
Despite this, the first quarter ended with 20-28 and the feeling in the Palau that their team had emerged quite unscathed, as Darío Brizuela made three free throws after forcing a foul with his three-point attempt at the buzzer. And, just before, Real Madrid missed two attacks to reach 30 points in the first period. As I said, great white superiority and Barça in tow.
That feeling was the same in the second quarter. Real Madrid had the ball under control (or so it seemed) and Barça was looking for alternatives that would get them into the game. A ‘click’ that would bring them closer to the efficiency, desire and attitude of that initial 7-2. And, from the defense and also thanks to the arrival of the triples, with Jabari Parker and Willy Hernangómez as outstanding players, Barça was able to come back to make it 45-49 at halftime.
Although the ‘culers’ lost Czech center Jan Vesely along the way, who committed an unsportsmanlike behavior in the first quarter and a technical at the beginning of the second that sent him to the showers. This hostile atmosphere and protest did not change one bit at Barça, including the coach on the bench, including Roger Grimau. But, on the hardwood, the Blaugranas were able to find a way not to be eliminated at half-time, although they were behind on the scoreboard.
And the work and encouragement of the Palau Blaugrana allowed Barça to come back, take the lead and have a chance of at least extending the series. But, just like in other competitions, this is not the year of a Barça whose leadership will have to think about the future of Roger Grimau and the squad, after being surpassed by a distance by a Real Madrid that returns home with the ticket for the final of this Endesa League and with a 16-23 in the last quarter that was crucial.
