Deck supports the white team against Chris Jones and Jared Harper’s success, lack of a race director and Llull’s injury
Tension was expected in the Badalona Copa del Rey and the staging reinforced the feeling that anything can happen in this tournament, unique in Europe. Real Madrid was about to become the first unexpected victim in the Olympics, but they saved the furniture thanks to two of their strongest players, the most effective and colorful Gabriel Deck and Mario Hezonja, who continues to advance.
The Argentine and the Croat are two indecipherable elements for their ability to do everything in different positions and held a fat Madrid, which had a spectacular staging but without continuity or clear ideas towards the game to ease the immense pain at avoiding the Valencia Basket brought him, driven by the voracious scoring of Chris Jones and Jared Harper. Between the two Americans, they nibbled on the initial white advantage until they turned the donor’s starting pistol upside down, with only the final failure of the former preventing the first major convulsion.
And that the start of Real Madrid threatened to liquidate the battle on the fast circuit. Mumbú risked with a small starting line-up aiming to make Madrid suffer at full speed, but ultimately favored white dominance under the board. The captain Dubljevic maintained the ‘taronja’ inside game as best he could while the success from outside the line of three was conspicuous by its absence.
The behemoth Tavares and the hustler Deck highlighted the impressive Madrid game and the Whites went straight with a 10-0 run and +11 on the scoreboard. Significantly, Chus Mateo’s team doubled their rival in rebounds (13-6) after the first quarter. Kyle Alexander’s entry gave Valencia some courage in the area, but just then Madrid’s second unit came on the scene until they doubled their rival 31-15.
Williams-Goss (4), Musa (9), Deck (19), Yabusele (10) and Tavares (11) starting five- Sergio Rodríguez (2), Llull (3), Causeur, Hanga (9), Hezonja ( 16), Cornélie (3) and Poirier.
Radebough (4), Chris Jones (20), Claver (4), Puerto and Dubljevic (9)-starting five- Shannon Evans (3), Harper (16), Prepelic (5), López-Arostegui (3), Jasiel Rivero (8), Pradilla (5) and Kyle Alexander (8).
The dynamics threatened to resolve the first game of the cup without all the intrigue that was ventured between two Euroleague teams, but the staging of fighter Jasiel Rivero again narrowed the distance above the ten-point psychological barrier (31-2.3)
Valencia made the rubber looking for their chance, but the truth is that the depth of the Madrid team can drive their rivals to despair. Mario Hezonja got sensations from the bench, that wild card in this Chus Mateo team that is starting to establish itself as a differential player.
The white team dominated strongly as two sparks fanned the ‘taronja’ flame just before the break. Shannon Evans and Prepelic, the Slovenian from home and at the buzzer, ensured that Valencia could lead the way to the dressing rooms at seven (41-34) and hopeful, as opposed to the rival side’s injury concerns to Llull who could leave the white flag without a cup.
Valencia returned from the long break, supported by the work of Víctor Claver, not only visible in the statistics, but the exchange of blows did not serve to close the distance. The Levantine team rowed to get within four, but two consecutive kills by Musa and Yabusele briefly quelled the rebellion, backed up by Jones and Harper’s ‘made in USA’ rifles despite everything.
The panorama had changed dangerously for Madrid, which was up to its neck in water. The game was deadlocked between unattractive stoppages due to the on-screen refereeing rating, but Mumbrú’s men had a burst of pride left to rock the game with the 79-81 scoreline that culminated the comeback.
Madrid responded thanks to Deck’s invaluable work and with a triple try from López-Arostegui missing the ring, Valencia’s life in the tournament seemed to be at an end. However, there was an orange bullet in the room. Madrid, with Hanga as match leader for the hole in the base, lacked good decisions at the decisive moments. Life was complicated, but Chris Jones failed to complete his great evening and forgave the white giant in a tournament where it is important to survive every day.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
