Burgos and Andorra say goodbye to the ACB

Pain and tears, many tears, in Burgos and Andorra, where there will be no Endesa League games next season. After eight months of competition, the Burgos and Andorrans played their future in the highest category in one game, as did Zaragoza and Fuenlabrada, the other two teams involved in the fight for salvation. A heads or tails at 40 minutes. Four teams in rough waters and only two floats to avoid falling to LEB Gold. One last night of the regular season with a dose of tension such as is rarely remembered in the ACB.

All the games started at the same time (20.45), also those of the teams with nothing at stake. Burgos and Andorra faced, respectively, Fuenlabrada and UCAM Murcia. And their chances of avoiding the abyss were not too hopeful before the start: the Castilians had a 37.5% chance of saving themselves, compared to 43.75% of the Andorrans. Fuenlabrada (62.5%) and Zaragoza (56.25%) started with an advantage before the last initial whistle of the course.

In the Burgos Coliseum, the locals were obliged to beat Fuenlabrada so as not to say goodbye to the elite. And it was not so. In a meeting in which nerves and the bad dynamics of the season weighed more than faith, those of Paco Olmos fell resoundingly before a Fuenla more serious (66-83).

At the end of the game, in an atmosphere of sadness and general tears, the president of Burgos, Félix Sancho, went down to the parquet floor shouting to demand that his players kneel down and apologize to the local fans, faithful as few. A gesture that Pedro Martínez, Manresa coach, was quick to criticize on his Twitter account: “You shouldn’t ask for forgiveness when you lose if you’ve been a good professional. Even less force the decision maker to do so”.

Burgos, which arrived in the ACB in 2017, says goodbye to the top flight, leaving behind an unbreakable connection with its fans and three international titles in the showcase: two Champions Leagues (2020 and 2021) and one Intercontinental (2021) .

Andorra, for its part, received The Bombonera Tenerife, fifth classified and a firm candidate to give a surprise in the playoffs starting on May 24. The team from the Principality, which was in tow for the entire match, tied the match on the penultimate play. Then, with three seconds left on the shot clock, the giant Shermadini received the ball and, after a controversial threat, in which the locals demanded stepsshattered Andorran illusions: 77-79.

Francesc Solana, sporting director of Andorra, criticized the refereeing performance after his team was relegated to the second division, a category that they abandoned in 2014 towards the elite: “We went down to LEB Oro, but the referees are still in ACB” .

Zaragoza and Fuenlabrada, saved

The other side of the coin was experienced in Murcia, where Zaragoza beat UCAM (72-77) and, with a great game by Dino Radoncic —24 PIR—, he certified his permanence in the ACB. In the celebration, charged with high pulsations even before uncorking the champagne, Omar Cook confirmed his retirement at the age of 40 and after 21 seasons as a professional.

Fuenlabrada did the same in the direct duel against Burgos and will continue for another year in the ACB, a category to which they were promoted in 2005. They will be accompanied by CB Granada, who sealed their promotion as LEB Gold champion this week.

In the rest of the day, Real Madrid ended the regular season with a victory in Las Palmas against Gran Canaria (83-91), which, despite the defeat, concludes the season among the top eight in the table. Barcelona, ​​Jouventut and Valencia, teams that accompany Laso’s team in the top four positions, closed the regular phase with victories. The latter, Valencia, beat Obradoiro (85-89) in Albert Oliver’s last game.

The playoffs for the title they will therefore have the following matches in the quarterfinals: Barcelona – Gran Canaria, Jouventut – Tenerife, Real Madrid – Manresa, and Valencia – Baskonia. The winners of each series, which is played over the best of five games, will advance to the semifinals and, later, to the final, where the new ACB champion will be decided.

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