Quality in the triple makes the difference (74-68)

Two more than one from Kouadio followed by a dunk from Badji was the sequence that gave Naturavia Morón its only advantages of the match (3-7). They lasted a sigh, the time it took Renfroe and Benite to take his temperature in the morning. The Brazilian played loose, without sappers around him, and that was giving a lot of advantage to a player of his size. Fine in his shooting, he quickly scored eight points, including two triples (15-9). Back from the timeout, a very thick attack by Morón and a transition of pass and basket executed between Renfroe and Radoncic. At that moment, Naturavia Morón’s blinds were lowered in attack. Failure after failure until M’Madi completed a transition. From the perimeter he was blinded and it was also difficult for him from the personnel line. Without Renfroe on the court, their main generator, Betis lost fluidity and scoring flow, but Morón barely hurt them and the distance shot up to a dozen after Domenech’s triple (24-12). Betis won by nine after a very comfortable first quarter for the Green and Whites, who were on the boards with Rubén López de la Torre and Domenech. There wasn’t much rhythm or speed. Betis was not interested in speeding up the game either. The rush, if anything, was the responsibility of Morón, who neither made three-pointers nor managed to connect with his best player, Kouadio, in the game. Since the attacking rebound was not profitable either, his points fell in dribs and drabs. Just like those of Betis, with their references well monitored.

A two plus one from Kasibabu made it 29-19 with more than six minutes until the intermission. Betis was no longer operating with the ease of the first quarter. If Morón has something, it is physical power and its players put it at the service of the team, but without the status quo of the morning changing. Hughes finally hit three and Benite exchanged two more points after recovery (36-23). Without needing to activate their best version, Betis Baloncesto did their best although there was a loose end in their game plan: the defensive rebound. It was the offensive handle that held the Morón to the crash, dry as the rest of its power sources were. Badji (14 points and 8 rebounds at halftime) put on his boots, imposing his height and size, creating many problems on the boards for the albiverdes, who greatly missed DeBisschop. Only the Senegalese post scored for Morón, but unfortunately for their interests, their opponent scored three at a time (45-29, after Jelinek’s goal). Betis’ triple score (7/15 compared to Morón’s 0/4) made the difference at the break (45-31) even though the visitors dominated the rebounds with authority (20 in total, ten of them offensive).

Moron rebels

The opening of the third quarter curtain was a kind of synopsis of the game. Santana missed for Morón from the triple and Radoncic did hit from the corner (48-31). From there Morón was encouraged, not throwing in the towel and signing a 2-10 (50-41), with Kouadio finally showing his head in the game and waking up the Morón fans who had traveled to San Pablo. A two-handed dunk by Tamba caused Gonzalo García de Vitoria to time out given that Betis’ severe problems and in the balls without an owner, all for Morón, continued. The first visitor triple could not have any other signature than that of Kouadio (50-44), immediately responded by a burst from Hughes and Jelinek (56-44). In ten the difference was stabilized and the score remained there for a long time (58-48), with the Morón crowd celebrating every worthy action of their team, blindly believing in the comeback. Having its point of emotion, it was not exactly a game of high offensive volume. Not much less. The last field goal basket of the third quarter came with two minutes and 25 seconds left in the game. Then, an almost complete drought, except for a free kick from M’Madi.

Suspense and excitement until the end

Morón did not give up, and in those scoring parameters it was clear that he had options. They got within six, after a triple by M’Madi (60-54), but two actions later, Atencia assisted Hughes to act as a fire extinguisher (63-54). Domenech was eliminated with seven minutes left and Betis was increasingly stuck. Atencia, very discreet, hit a jump shot from the free throw (65-54) and Hughes put the victory on track with four minutes remaining after an attacking rebound from Rubén López de la Torre and an assist for Hughes’ triple (69- 57). Again. The twelfth for Betis Baloncesto in a game in which they dominated at all times, although with many difficulties at the end, despite their obvious deficiencies in rebounding. The side that oozed. There the seams were seen and it is worth signing it up for what is to come.

Badji shot up to 21 points, Kouadio to 14 (71-63, two minutes away) and M’Madi, after the umpteenth offensive rejection, tightened the score (71-66) and added the emotional chilli to the closing completing a 0-7 that forced Betis to stop the match. The green-and-white team exhausted that possession without scoring and Morón had almost a minute to hit the ball in San Pablo. Jiménez sublimated the suspense from the free throw (71-68) with 37 seconds left. After another timeout, Jelinek missed three, Kouadio was not whistled for a possible foul on a drive to the basket (precisely defended by the Czech forward), Hughes only made one free throw and Renfroe rescued a ball that led Jelinek to the line of personnel to sentence (74-68) and put the tenth victory of the course in the Betic locker. That in San Pablo, his lair, remains indestructible.