ACB Super Cup – semi-final – day 1
Rudy and Sergio Rodríguez hung up their jerseys, Alocén, Causeur, Yabusele and Poirier left, and the squad experienced the biggest renewal in recent years with the signings of Feliz, Rathan-Mayes, Garuba and Ibaka. But Madrid continues to win no matter how many names change next to the crest. Chus Mateo’s team defeated the also recycled Barcelona, now coached by Joan Peñarroya, by 89-83 in the first semi-final of the Super Cup, in Murcia, and this Sunday will seek its seventh consecutive title in the competition against the locals or against Unicaja. Two men from the old guard like Campazzo (18 points and six assists) and Tavares (11 points and six rebounds) allied with Ibaka (four blocks) to leave the Blaugrana again without options for a crown that has eluded them since 2015.
Campazzo, Rathan-Mayes, Musa, Hezonja and Tavares. Satoransky, Punter, Abrines, Parker and Willy. Chus Mateo and Joan Peñarroya charged with dynamite from the first step. Madrid started with a couple of missed three-pointers and Musa took over to bite inside when the outside shot didn’t work. Barcelona wanted to speed up the film and cleared up the plays for a long-range bingo by Kevin Punter, a reputed points machine. As is Rathan-Mayes, another man with a hot wrist. It will be up to the coaches to fit these free verses into their ordered booklet without the schemes going out of control. For the traditional, there is Tavares, this time well tied up by the blue-and-red team in a classic start with many chains: a meager 4-7 in the first five minutes. Jabari Parker and Rathan-Mayes exchanged three-pointers and both teams began to lose their shirts, refreshed by the roulette wheel that their infinite arsenal allows them. Two successes from Campazzo and Abalde from the perimeter allowed the Madrid players to smile in that final push to close the first quarter (20-18).
Familiar faces appeared in a different jersey, like Juan Núñez. And others of old acquaintances, like Ibaka (tremendous block on Laprovittola). The two greats of Spanish basketball have changed their skin. The whites at the beginning of a new era without Sergio Rodríguez and Rudy. The Barcelona players played a more physical game after the course under Roger Grimau. Núñez and Andrés Feliz pulled a couple of baskets out of the hat, and Punter and Llull revived their controversial encounter from two courses ago in the Euroleague, this time from distance. Madrid was still a head ahead, lucky with Abalde’s triple on the board (32-24). Peñarroya called for a break because Barcelona was clouded in static attack, once they faced the rival’s spider web. Brizuela took charge of shaking the tree to finish off a 0-8 after the break and recover the pulse in the veins. Chus Mateo’s team was supported by the imposing Ibaka, a reliable battleship when Tavares rests, and by the reliable Campazzo, who does everything. Brizuela’s fever (three triples in the second quarter) slightly turned the match around (41-42) to catch the break.
Peñarroya demanded adjustments in defence without forgetting the speed of the legs with the ball in their hands. His boys did not do their homework when they conceded two consecutive triples to Hezonja, the protagonist of the soap opera of the summer until he renewed his contract with the Whites. It is more difficult to get Tavares to lower his arms in both baskets. It is also difficult to keep Musa on a short leash, so Madrid regained the initiative. Barça held on with the brilliance of Parker and Punter and a commitment to short attacks, a formula that creaks when shots prepared so quickly do not go in. The Whites did not tremble when it came to punishing those holes and stretched their lead to 10 points (58-48). A reliable shooter like Abrines came to the rescue, although the reaction was left in suspense after a foul in attack by Willy against Campazzo. The center was charged with unsportsmanlike conduct for elbowing the Argentine as he turned under the net (67-61).
Ibaka rose above Willy in the train crash. At 35, the Congolese-born pivot has returned to Spain with the same physical exuberance as always. In the same play he blocked first Willy and then Brizuela, as if he were swinging a giant sledgehammer. Once again, Iblocka. The game had been made worse by the dominance of defensive systems and the constant interruption of play. Madrid was the team that suffered the most from the lack of points (70-69) and Barça had some chances to get ahead. They were able to tie the game, for example, at 80 with one minute left with a three-pointer from Satoransky after a two plus one from Hezonja. The first classic of the season led to another agonising finale. And Madrid tied it up with its most classic players, Tavares to rule in his domain and Campazzo to steal, run and score. No matter how many players change, the new Madrid wins as always.
REAL MADRID, 89; BARCELONA, 83
Real Madrid: Campazzo (18), Rathan-Mayes (6), Musa (11), Hezonja (12), Tavares (11) -starting quintet-; Feliz (3), Abalde (10), Deck (5), Ibaka (8), Llull (5), Garuba (0).
Barcelona: Satoransky (8), Punter (9), Abrines (6), Parker (17), Willy Hernangómez (5) -starting five-; Núñez (2), Laprovittola (7), Vesely (7), Metu (1), Brizuela (14), Anderson (7).
Partials: 20-18, 21-24, 26-19 and 22-22.
Referees: Peruga, Calatrava, Castillo. Anderson was eliminated.
Some 7,000 spectators at the Sports Palace in Murcia.
#Madrid #beats #Barça