Unicaja remains undefeated and Martín Carpena is impregnable. Barcelona fell after a great game between both teams, with a scoring festival, and with Kendrick Perry as the protagonist of the Malaga team, with 22 points, five assists and the composure that kept him at 2.10m until the end, when later From a defensive rebound by his team, he launched a triple, which he scored, to make the score 93-86 and eliminate his rival’s chances of turning the game around. Barça, who were only ahead until 0-4, just beginning the match, never left the game either. Although Unicaja managed to stretch the lead to 13 points in the third quarter, the Barça team always responded, with Satoransky, acting as the injured Laprovittola, as his team’s guide.
The first half ended with a minimal advantage for the Malaga team (49-48), with Kalinoski (10 points) as their best asset. Barcelona rebounded better, and Fall moved well under the basket. After Unicaja tried to stretch the lead in their favor, Joan Peñarroya adjusted the defense, and his team got closer to minimizing the damage as much as possible. The second half was similar to the first, with two dynamic teams that unabashedly searched for the opposing goal.
The people from Malaga were penalized for their lack of success in the triple (7 of 25), and above all, in the free throws. They had 34 opportunities and missed eight, but supported by the passionate atmosphere of Martín Carpena, and well directed by Ibon Navarro, they did not give up command at any time, not even when Barça came close to tying. They also maintained their composure in the final minutes to win a hard-fought victory, which places them in the lead of the ACB League, in an impeccable series of five victories in as many days.
The second in the championship is Valencia Basket, which beat Bilbao in Miribilla (98-103) after a great game by both teams in which the Valencians’ rebound prevailed (48 by 27), in a game in which that 65 triples were launched between the two teams and that in the end they opted for the experience and wardrobe of Pedro Martínez’s men.
In the morning, Real Madrid completed the procedure and beat Baxi Manresa (86-61), without too many complications, after marking the difference in the first half (47-21), and playing trantran in the second, with Rathan -Mayes and Hezonja as maximum exponents. Chus Mateo’s team begins to climb positions in the table. UCAM Murcia, after a hesitant start, is also among the top eight after winning in Girona on Saturday (75-82), while Baskonia continues its irregular trajectory. They lost in Buesa against Joventut (79-82) and accumulate more defeats than victories.
In the Canarian derby, the host La Laguna Tenerife had the pleasure of defeating Gran Canaria (84-74) and placing themselves among the best in the League. In the lower part of the standings, Hiopos Lleida gained momentum after beating Breogán at home in Lugo (77-81) and adding their second victory.