Basketball Girona and Granada have become the talking points as both teams press toward a spot in the ACB League next season. The Catalan club is climbing in the standings with a performance that shows growth and grit, even as the wider scene in LEB Oro features intense battles. At Fontajau, the arena roared with the energy of a derby atmosphere, as Lleida and Palencia television highlights played a backdrop to a game that demanded maturity from a young club founded by Marc Gasol in 2014. The senior squad had their formal debut in the EBA League five years earlier, and the progress toward their first ACB appearance is a narrative driven by the fans and a clear sense of purpose from the coaching staff and players alike.
After the semi finals were navigated, Girona faced a practical doubt: could the team’s center and founder, who has long been the heartbeat of the club, contribute enough to push into the final phase? A late tumble in the scrum for a rebound briefly slowed momentum, but the game did not lose its aggressive tempo. Gasol faded from the floor momentarily, and the Girona supporters kept faith as the team recalibrated. The coaching staff, led by Jordi Sargatal, offered measured assessments of the player’s condition, noting that the coach would confirm further details the following day as the team prepared for the next challenge.
mark the differences
Long before this season, after concluding a remarkable NBA chapter, Gasol pledged to return to Girona and help the city on the court again. That promise was fulfilled, and now his involvement is moving toward a culminating chapter in a love story that began to take shape more than a decade ago. The return to the ACB stage is a poignant moment for a club that first rose to prominence under the banner of that earlier project, Akasvayu, and that again finds itself on the brink of climbing the ladder of Spanish basketball.
Gasol continued to impact the game with his usual mixture of scoring, rebounding, and intimidation, guiding Girona through a crucial early stretch. The team built an imposing lead through disciplined execution, with a potent start from the trio and an aggressive defensive posture that limited Lleida to a few clean looks in the opening minutes. Despite the double-digit advantage at halftime, the atmosphere remained tense as both teams traded momentum in a game defined by its physicality and the emotional weight carried by the crowd.
When the third quarter began, Gasol delivered a personal sequence that underscored his influence. An unfavorable moment for him saw a stumble that sent him to the locker room, but the moment only sharpened the collective resolve of Girona. Fontajau responded with a chorus of encouragement as the rest of the team reasserted control on both ends of the floor. Girona extended their lead to a comfortable margin and maintained that cushion even as Lleida pressed to narrow the gap.
As the clock moved into the final act, Girona held a steady advantage. Gasol returned to the bench with the team continuing to execute with confidence, and the Girona defense kept Lleida at arm’s length, preserving a lead that reflected a well-rounded performance. The final arc of the game settled the outcome, with Girona securing the victory by a clear margin while the crowd absorbed the significance of the moment and the broader implications for the club’s ascent.
Pau goes down to the locker room
The game carried an extra layer of tension as Gasol left the court early in the final period to check on his brother. Watching from the sidelines, Tinged with concern, Lleida took advantage of the temporary disruption to string together a run of points that narrowed the difference. Yet Girona steadied, rearranged, and answered with a measured response. Gasol returned to the bench after a brief absence, and his teammates responded with a composed offensive push to reassert the lead. The Girona bench and the Fontajau stands provided unwavering support, their energy acting as a sixth man in a contest that demanded every drop of resolve.
Lleida pressed with urgency in the closing minutes, cutting the deficit to single digits as the game entered a nerve-filled stretch. Girona maintained calm, clinging to a safe margin and executing down the stretch to seal the final ticket. The result moved Girona closer to the ACB objective, with the club’s identity reinforced by a balanced team performance and the continued leadership from Gasol on and off the floor.