Kings are crowned in Miribilla

The crisis passes to a better life in Miribilla. The day before the league break for the Cup and the Windows is vital, because for the 10 worst teams in the ACB it facilitates three weeks of smiles or deep concern. And let’s not say if you drag the Bilbao Basket and Granada results crisis. One of the two was going to put an end to morale on the ground. For the ‘men in black’ it was now or never, because after this break they visit Granca and Madrid. They have lost the luster of the start of the year and meter by meter they were getting closer to that great image that led them to add 8 wins. Confirmation was missing, and at home against a direct rival, it was the perfect moment. Since Hakanson is somewhat limping, we had to look for someone who would take a step forward in terms of scoring and he didn’t wait a moment to give it to Álex Reyes, who caught on with his best game dressed in black. He not only limited himself to his specialty, medium and long distance jump shots, he hit a dunk of those that lift anyone from his seat and defended like a colossus. Smith and Withey also rowed theirs. The Nasrids add their eleventh defeat in twelve games, they see the abyss very close. For the people of Biscay, who took the ‘average’ established at -15, the sun rises again. The relegation is six games away and with squads as evicted as Manresa and Fuenla, thinking of a cataclysm is for pessimists from birth. If one of them comes out of the sewer, Covirán himself is also hanging around that area.

Playing on a Saturday at six in the evening, with the sun shining outside, is a blessing. It was noticed in the atmosphere of Miribilla, much more festive and noisy than other afternoons. And in the happy scoring: 90 points, third best score of the course. The referees wore wristbands against LGTBIphobia in sport. It is clear to Granada that he does not have Felicio, that he must join Moore, Ndoye and Caicedo (starring a week ago against Fuenla, non-existent this time) and that Maye is recovering his pulse after returning from leave. He is in the rebuilding phase. He could not appear with Todorovic, so loved by Bilbao. He is out cold, his eternal problems with injuries.

After a first quarter of scoring (20-18), the local team warmed up. There came a first takeoff with more forceful defensive actions, two against one, more success in the triple and impudence: 35-23. Maye’s hand kept the Andalusians close on the scoreboard. The game was more contained than in the first round, good news for the Biscayans. The visitors intended to award shots to Radicevic and Rabaseda, given their trouble seeing the rim. Hakanson, back in the League, was zero at half-time, something that has ceased to be news due to overclocking, physical and mental exhaustion, and his muscular discomfort. Suddenly, the Surne lost order and forcefulness behind. It was difficult for him to take the pulse to his ground due to his everlasting irregularity. Chain streaks of great success with others of irresolvable jam. And the same thing happened behind. Costa pulled the car until he put the people of Granada ahead: 50-51 at 4:22 to finish the third act. They had 17 points in five and a half minutes.

In the case of Bilbao Basket, it was essential to reset and return to the starting point, to remember the good things from before this journey through the desert. There Reyes emerged to settle the ballot. Withey and he returned the advantage and lucidity. The climax was put by Hakanson, who emerged remembering what a great star he is. He hit a 3-pointer, immediately stole the ball from Maye on the groundout and bagged one a-for-two. 5-0 for a 61-53. Ponsarnau put three youngsters on track, Smith, Radicevic and Hakanson, and gained in deployment and dynamism. When he had done the most difficult thing, the Nasrid team disconnected, forgot to protect their hoop and committed incomprehensible losses that paid dearly. The only thing left to specify was the ‘average’. That he also fell on the Bilbao side.

Without making noise, Withey left the game with a PIR of 23, 13 points, +27 for his team when he was on the court, 15 rebounds of the 40 total that his team grabbed and 2 blocks. It is the first time in history that a MIB has managed to reach double digits in scoring after adding at least 15 sacks in an Endesa League game. Or, what is the same, a record of 10-15 or higher. Not Hervelle, who had 18 sacks in 2011; nor Weis, who reached or exceeded 15 on up to three occasions; Not even Balvin, after achieving 16 in 2019, were able to surpass the 6 goals scored in those games. The club has Borja Junco García de Mardones as the new director of Business Development and Projects, with the aim of increasing sponsorship income and opening new business avenues. He promoted 3×3 events in Burgos and was manager of Bakh, the imposing sports city of Baskonia and Alavés. His hand has already begun to show.

Ponsarnau: “The rebound and solidity have led us to victory”

Jaume Ponsarnau stressed that, “in a match of flashes, the rebound and the solidity” shown by his players were the keys to victory. “We had more positive flashes and that has allowed us to take the victory,” stressed the Catalan coach, very satisfied in addition to having managed to overcome the particular ‘average’ with the Nasrid team because that brings them closer “to the fundamental objective, which is to be one of the 16 best teams in the league”.

The coach from Tàrrega added that, with the peace of mind that the nine victories that add up gives them, they are going to use the three weeks of the league break to “recover and build” as much as possible, waiting to find out how many players will play with their teams in the FIBA ​​window, and also in “investing in the growth of the group”.

On an individual level, he highlighted the good performance of Alex Reyes (17 points, 3 rebounds and a PIR of 20), although he was not surprised because: “I see his abilities, his potential and his work and that is what I expect from him every day because he can do it ”. “He has to assume that he has these possibilities and play with them with determination. We’re on that. He is a good boy, who works and who has that talent. The team trusts him a lot to pull the car, he has a lot of potential”, highlighted the Catalan.

Pin: “We have not been able to control the basic details”

Pablo Pin regretted that one of the keys to his team’s defeat was that they were not “capable of controlling the basic details” of the game. “A turnover, an offensive rebound that you don’t catch, a serve after timeout that you hand over to your rival… Every time we’ve had a basic error, Bilbao has punished us well. We need more perseverance and be more consistent and that will give us to continue working as we do, “explained the coach from Granada.

“We are capable of playing very good minutes and then other very bad ones”, added an optimistic Pin for the future because he recalled that they reach the league bracket depending on themselves and already with six victories in the box. “We depend on ourselves and we need to keep improving. More than looking at the number of victories we have to recover consistency in the game. Saving us on the last day would be a success for us and if it is before, much better”, concluded the coach of the Andalusian team.