Baskonia continues to be inconsistent

Virtus started very well, with two consecutive triples (from Teodosic and Ojeleye) but the leads melted. Verbatim. The Virtus Segafredo Arena light box failed and the game was stopped for almost ten minutes. Upon returning to the field, another move of three for Milos Teodosic with a personal foul and, being in the action of shooting a triple, three pitches and 9-0 in the light.

However, Baskonia reacted and endorsed a 4-18 run against the Italians. Rokas Giedraitis took the offensive initiative for his team and Daulton Hommes accompanied him with triples. Sergio Scariolo was desperate and He scolded his team in a very intense timeout. There was a slight local reaction with Belinelli showing his hierarchy with the outside shot and the first phase of the clash ended with a tight 16-18.

The second quarter was marked because Baskonia was loaded with fouls very soon. He made five in less than two minutes and that favored the local team. They were minutes of a quintet with little set players until Peñarroya returned to put the A version of his team or, at least, one that resembled it. He seated Heidegger, Kurucs and company. At that point in the duel, only Giedraitis, Hommes and Kotsar had scored in the Vitoria team.

One of Peñarroya’s movements consisted of taking out Dani Díez to try to stop Teodosic but the one who messed her up was Belinelli, with a lot of experience in the NBA, quite old and a physical state to say the least doubtful. But his quality and talent allow him to hit 3s compulsively. There were just over 4 minutes to go before Ecuador and the match was 27-31. It was an eternal period due to the continuous visit to the free throws.

The third quarter started 44-41 thanks to a good ending for Toko Shengelia, whose week leads her to spend more time on planes than in pavilions. He wants to comply, and he does, with Georgia but he also has to appear every time Virtus has Euroleague games. After playing yesterday in the Netherlands, he will now travel to the junction against Iceland. If Georgia wins, they will qualify for the World Cup.

The third period started with a bad Basque defense and wrong decisions in attack (54-48) in addition of Jaiteh’s role. But Costello in the first instance and Howard later, based on triples, tied the duel at 58. The American already had four personnel but Peñarroya did not want to sacrifice him. A negative fourth quarter closed the third chapter with a 68-62.

Things were even again in the final act but Virtus took advantage of Teodosic’s experience and Belinelli’s shots. Abass put a huge stopper. The clash remained balanced (75-73, min. 37) but Giedraitis was very lonely when it came to scoring. He chained three 2 + 1 but hardly had any help. Marinkovic, who was the striker in the match for Vitoria, even missed two free throws at a key moment.

Howard’s fifth subtracted dynamite from a Baskonia that saw how the game was lost but the game was maintained average particular. The duel was finished off by Teodosic. In Vitoria they won 90-79 and it would have been a total fiasco to have missed that difference. There will be a lot of equality to enter the Top-8 and Virtus once again presented its candidacy to be among the best in the month of April.