A dramatic second episode delivered 59 points for Baskonia as they claimed a 94-81 victory over Joventut Badalona to secure a spot in the Copa del Rey semi-finals. This Saturday, the team from Vitoria will face Spain in their next knockouts clash against Lenovo Tenerife.
Against Tomic, the veteran delivered a notable performance with 18 points and 5 rebounds on a day that marked his 36th birthday. After a sluggish start that left Joventut trailing 35-42, a burst of aggressive defense and efficient scoring from a trio of players shifted the momentum and changed the tone of the game.
Joan Peñarroya’s squad controlled the opening half, but Joventut responded with grit and found a way back into the contest, only for their best effort to be halted when their key man Markus Howard left the floor with more than eight minutes remaining.
Rokas Giedraitis opened strong for Baskonia, trading baskets in a first quarter where his side jumped ahead by 13 points (4-17, min.7). Peñarroya’s team started the game with infectious energy and matched Baskonia’s pace from the outset.
Early on Joventut struggled in one-on-one battles. Guy and Howard found themselves neutralized, and Enoch disrupted Tomic’s rhythm by denying his first three attempts, contributing six points in the process. Guillem Vives also picked up two early fouls in a slow start that favored the visitors.
Coach Carles Duran reshuffled with Ribas and Feliz to inject tempo, and Parra and Ribas delivered back-to-back threes that sparked a shift (12-17, min.9), yet Joventut still trailed after the first period 14-19.
Two Kyle Guy free throws made it a one-point game at 18-19 (min.12), but Sedekerskis answered for Baskonia with six straight points, followed by Diez’s three, giving the visitors a seven-point edge (25-32) by the 16th minute.
Tomic produced some of his best offense in the period, allowing Joventut to level the score at 34-34 as the clock neared halftime, even though his team struggled to convert from the arc and found it tough to sustain extended attacks.
Thompson managed the pace for Baskonia while Costello knocked down two crucial threes, one coming at the horn, helping Alavesistas hold a seven-point advantage at the break, 35-42.
Joventut began the third period with Ellenson delivering a point of spark, scoring on a three and a subsequent and-one that gave them a brief lead at 46-44 (min. 23). The Badalona side rode this momentum until the Vitoria club answered with six straight points from Howard, narrowing the gap to 47-50 (min. 25), before Joventut’s defense clamped down again in the final minutes of the quarter.
Parra and Brodziansky punctuated the opening stretch of the final period with 19-6 run that swung the score in Joventut’s favor, launching them to a 68-57 advantage by the start of the fourth.
Brodziansky continued his strong play at the outset of the last frame, extending Joventut’s lead to 17 points as Baskonia found itself overwhelmed. With Howard sidelined by five personal fouls, Baskonia struggled to respond and could not quite reverse the tide against the relentless green and black pressure.
In the closing minutes, Ante Tomic re-entered the game and closed it out decisively for Joventut, finishing strong in 3:12 of the final period and earning top-scorer honors for his team as they advanced to the semi-finals.
Data sheet:
94 – Joventut Badalona (14+21+33+26): Vives (2), Guy (10), Parra (15), Brodziansky (12), Tomic (18) -first team-, Feliz (10), Ribas (8), Birgander (7), Ellenson (10), Busquets (2), Ventura (-) and Kraag (-).
81 – Baskonia (19+23+15+24): Thompson (11), Howard (11), Giedraitis (13), Costello (7), Enoch (8) -first team-, Marinkovic (7), Díez (3), Sedekerkis (12), Heiddeger (7) and Kotsar (2).
referees: Count, Knight and Serrano. They eliminated Markus Howard by five personal fouls (min.32).
events: The King’s Cup quarter-final match was played in front of 11,075 spectators at the Palau Municipal d’Esports in Badalona.