The team from Malaga started the Top-16 of the Basketball Champions League with a defeat against Cluj, who were superior from start to finish. Unicaja is still mired in mediocrity and hardly created any problems for this Romanian team full of American players with a correct level and little else. Without defense, shot selection, irrational impulses, lack of strategy and percentage laziness, you cannot go through life. The Transylvanian team only used eight players as was done in the old days. But he had in Elijat Stewart his best player with 26 points. Unicaja, not to vary, gave another recital of mediocrity.
Without Abromaitis or Alberto Díaz, Unicaja completed the list with youth player Álvaro Folgueirayes Clujj Napoca, a team with little pedigree but with correct fundamentals, began ruling with a certain authority protected by the well-known limitations that the Malaga team has this season. 11-19 in nine bland minutes.
With problems in attack, Unicaja did not give a right and the Club opened a tricky gap (15-28 min. 14′) in the midst of Carpena’s initial indifference, little excited not only by this BCL of incentives yet to be verified, but by the campaign of this Unicaja with little grit and absurd arguments while Stewart and Brown played to their heart’s content. After a timeout by Fotis, Brizuiela tightened the scoring with two triples in a row. What less than a pinch of seriousness?
But the typesetter defense was still made of plasterto not vary inside and outside. (24-33 min 15). A good vibe from the Greens, Eric’s claw and good moments from Bouteille with three consecutive triples, plus a mate from Nzosa and two from Jaime put the locals ahead for the first time on the scoreboard (41-39 min. 19 with partial 17-6). The first part ends 41-43.
After the restart, Unicaja let go again and the 10-point difference returned (43-53). The Romanian team really offers a certain quality, another obstacle for this limited-resource Unicaja to rage. With 47-55 at 25′ of the game, Eric hurts his right knee and retires to the locker room. To all this Stewart continues to do damage and with a triple by Brandon Brown the 13 against return (47-60 min. 26′). The third quarter closes with 55-64 and a feeling of indifference in a Martin Carpena disenchanted with his team and with the feeling that the Basketball Champions League, in its acronym BCL, does not give a damn.
Unicaja tries to row, but Stewart is unstoppable (60-70 min. 33). The fans, dissatisfied, do not encourage because the team does not give them reasons in the middle of the mess. And that Francis Alonso pulls the car with his Malaga claw. Not for those. At 35′ the scoreboard indicates 62-72.
A triple by Jaime, until then missing, puts the team in the game and wakes up the fans. Francis supports the outburst with another three points that put the score at 68-72-The Romanian coach asks for time. And there are four minutes left.
Suddenly Unicaja shows dignity and gallons, but it’s late. Francis, by far the best on his team, missed the 73-74 triple. From there it goes to 70-76. A triple by Brircevic puts a 72-79 that moves Unicaja away from the shore and they take another smack in a deplorable season. Final, 73-79.