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Spanish League, Game 20: February 2-3, 2008
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 The big duel of this weekend in the Spanish League a few days before the King's Cup, featured the two top-ranked tames in the standings and ended with a valuable road win for Tau Ceramica at Real Madrid by only two points, 80-82. Tau dominated for most of the game but Real Madrid had the last shot for the win. However, Charles Smith's three was short and didn't go in allowing the team coached by Neven Spahija to get an important win for a four-way tie in second place with Iurbentia Bilbao, DKV Joventut and AXA FC Barcelona, while Real Madrid stays as leader. Sergi Vidal led the winners with 18 points. AXA FC Barcelona had a rough start but managed to finally win at MMT Estudiantes by 79-86 thanks to Alex Acker's 17 points. DKV Joventut was also a road winner by 77-100 at Grupo Capitol Valladolid with 17 points by Pau Ribas and 14 by three more players. Unicaja also won on the road by 81-91 at Grupo Begar Leon with 20 points by Marcus Haislip, wjile Kalise Gran Canaria won at home against Iurbentia Bilbao by 86-74 thanks to Carl English's 20 points. Akasvayu Girona was a home winner over ViveMenorca by 66-63 behind Victor Sada's 12 points, thanks to a last seconds three by Arriel McDonald. Finally, Pamesa Valencia also won on the road at Ricoh Manresa by 64-82 thanks to 21 points by Ruben Douglas.
The weekend featured a big showdown in Madrid as two Euroleague powerhouses who also happen to be the first two teams in the Spanish League standings, Real Madrid and Tau Ceramica, squared off. It all came down to a thrilling ending in which Charles Smith had the winning three in his hands but he missed giving Tau a 80-82 road win. Sergi Vidal led the winners with 18 points, Mirza Teletovic added 16, Zoran Planinic 12 and Igor Rakocevic, 10. For the hosts, Louis Bullock had an amazing night with 27 points and three players added 10 points each: Raul Lopez, Charles Smith and Felipe Reyes. The game was close and intense throughout the 40 minutes. Tau dominated in the first half, but Real Madrid came back stromg in three and managed to jump ahead starting the final quarter, 63-58 after Pablo Prigioni free throws. Simas Jasaitis blasted two straight threes that put Tau ahead in minute 34, 65-67, but Bullock was there to save his team. Will McDonald's four straight points gave Tau a small cushion for the final plays, but down the stretch the guests committed mistakes that Real Madrid used to cut the deficit down to 80-82 with a last possession. Lopez drove to find an open spot for Smith who took the three but it didn't go in giving Tau a valuable road win. DKV Joventut was an easy winner on the road at Grupo Capitol Valladolid by 77-100. Pau Ribas was the leader for the winners with 17 points while three players scored 14 apiece: Rudy Fernandez, Edu Hernandez-Sonseca and Demond Mallet. Lubos Barton also contributed 10 for the winners. A 33-53 burst in the second and third quarters combined gave the guests a comfortable lead to face the final period. The rest was a mere formality as an overall index rating of 67-119 said it all about the game.
AXA FC Barcelona visited Madrid to face MMT Estudiantes, and despite a 33-20 lead for the hosts after a great first quarter, the team of Dusko Ivanovic imposed its quality and managed to pull a 79-86 road win on Sunday morning. Alex Acker was the offensive leader of the guests with 17 points, Jaka Lakovic added 15, Jordi Trias 12 and Gianluca Basile 10. AXA FCB faced Michel Morandais, who played this very same game of the first leg with Barca and now was on the other side. Morandais was Estudiantes' best scorer with 21 points. A crowd of 10,000 went nuts as guard Sergio Sanchez blasted a three that closed the first period with a 33-20. However, Barca improved its defense and forced the hosts to only 6 points in the second period so at the break the scoreboard showed a 39-38. Acker opened the second half with a basket that put Barca ahead but the third period was close as Morandais closed it with a bucket to make it 59-60 after 30 minutes. The game entered minute 35 with Estu leading by 4, 73-69, but 8 straight points by Lakovic including two triples, but Barca ahead for good. Kalise Gran Canaria gave one of the surprises of the week as it defeated second-place holder Iurbentia Bilbao at home by 86-74. Carl English led the winners with 20 points, Nik Caner had 15 and Jim Moran added 14. Gran Canaria sterted the game well with a solid first quarter but the guests came back in the second and made it 31-31 at the break. The key was to be found after resumption as 5 triples by the hosts allowed them to build a solid 62-51 lead after 30 minutes. The last period was balanced and Gran Canaria could maintain the lead to take an easy home win.
Unicaja also won on the road this weekend as it defeated Grupo Begar Leon by 81-91. Marcus Haislip was the best man for Unicaja with 20 points, Davor Kus added 19, Daniel Santiago and German Gabriel had 12 each from the paint and Boniface Ndong contributed 11 for the win. The game had ups and downs for both teams as Leon started strong for a 24-16 lead after 10 minutes. Kus and Haislip put Unicaja back in the game in the second period and two free throws by Jiri Welsch closed the first half with Unicaja leading by 2, 39-41. In the third period, Leon improved its offense and managed to jump ahead again while Unicaja struggled, 67-61 after 30 minutes. The big bomb arrived in the decisive period as Gabriel, Ndong and Kus made a killer trio that put Unicaja cack in control, 75-82 in minute 37. Ndong's three-point play for 77-87 entering the last minute broke the game open for Unicaja. Akasvayu Girona suffered to win at home by 66-63 over ViveMenorca. Victor Sada led the winners with 12 points while Marc Gasol and Branko Cvetkovic had 11 apiece. A 0-5 start for Menorca allowed them to control the score during the first 10 minutes, that ended 15-19. Triples by Fernando San Emeterio and Roman Montañez put the hosts ahead for the first time in the game, 21-19, and between those two players the score progressed to 29-22 but at the break, the guests dominated by one again, 34-35. Sada appeared in the third quarter to give Girona a boost and after 30 minutes the score was 53-46 but in the final period, Menorca threatened the hosts again by tying the game at 63-63 when Marko Marinovic scored in minute 40. With 8 seconds to go, Pedro Martinez called a timeout that allowed Akasvayu to trace a plan. And said and done, Sada assisted Arriel McDonald who found a space for a three that went in to beat the buzzer and give Girona a thrilling home win.
In the last game on Sunday evening, Pamesa Valencia took an important road win at Ricoh Manresa by 64-82. Ruben Douglas led the winners with 21 points, Albert Oliver had 19 against the team of his formative years and Albert Miralles added 18 plus 11 boards for the winners. Pamesa was always ahead in the score, but somehow it never managed to completely get rid of Manresa. However, that changed during the third quarter as a 16-28 partial made it 50-68 after 30 minutes. In the final period, Pamesa cruised to the win. In other games, Alta Gestion Fuenlabrada defeated Cajasol at home by 76-69 and Polaris Wolrld Murcia was also a home winner over Granada by 78-71.
LAST GAME GAME 20
February 2-3, 2008 | | Day | Match | Result | | Feb. 3 | Estudiantes vs. AXA FCB | 79-86 | | Feb. 3 | Valladolid vs. DKV Joventut | 77-100 | | Feb. 3 | Kalise G. Canaria vs. Bilbao | 86-74 | | Feb. 3 | Akasvayu G. vs. ViveMenorca | 66-63 | | Feb. 2 | Grupo Begar León vs. Unicaja | 81 -91 | | Feb. 3 | Manresa vs. Pamesa Valencia | 64-82 | | Feb. 2 | Fuenlabrada vs. Cajasol | 76-69 | | Feb. 2 | Real Madrid vs.TAU Cerámica | 80-82 | | Feb. 3 | CB Murcia vs. C.B. Granada | 78-71 |
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NEXT GAME GAME 21
February 16-17, 2008 | | Day | Match | | Feb. 16 | C.B. Granada vs. León | | Feb. 16 | ViveMenorca vs. Manresa | | Feb. 16 | TAU Cerám. vs. Akasvayu | | Feb. 16 | Joventut vs. Fuenlabrada | | Feb. 17 | Bilbao Basket vs. Murcia | | Feb. 17 | Pamesa vs. Real Madrid | | Feb. 17 | Unicaja vs. Estudiantes | | Feb. 17 | AXA FCB vs. Valladolid | | Feb. 17 | Cajasol vs.Kalise Canaria |
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| STANDINGS | TG | W | L | P+ | P- | | 1 | Real Madrid | 20 | 16 | 4 | 1609 | 1507 | | 2 | TAU Cerámica | 20 | 14 | 6 | 1659 | 1483 | | 3 | DKV Joventut | 20 | 14 | 6 | 1726 | 1551 | | 4 | iurbentia Bilbao Basket | 20 | 14 | 6 | 1522 | 1443 | | 5 | AXA F.C. Barcelona | 20 | 14 | 6 | 1535 | 1504 | | 6 | Pamesa Valencia | 20 | 12 | 8 | 1561 | 1461 | | 7 | Unicaja | 20 | 12 | 8 | 1599 | 1512 | | 8 | Akasvayu Girona | 20 | 11 | 9 | 1588 | 1585 | | 9 | Kalise Gran Canaria | 20 | 9 | 11 | 1514 | 1511 | | 10 | Polaris World CB Murcia | 20 | 9 | 11 | 1467 | 1481 | | 11 | C.B. Granada | 20 | 9 | 11 | 1529 | 1552 | | 12 | Grupo Capitol Valladolid | 20 | 9 | 11 | 1592 | 1661 | | 13 | Ricoh Manresa | 20 | 8 | 12 | 1594 | 1687 | | 14 | Alta Gestión Fuenlabrada | 20 | 7 | 13 | 1437 | 1531 | | 15 | ViveMenorca | 20 | 7 | 13 | 1499 | 1602 | | 16 | Cajasol | 20 | 6 | 14 | 1532 | 1586 | | 17 | MMT Estudiantes | 20 | 5 | 15 | 1436 | 1568 | | 18 | Grupo Begar León | 20 | 4 | 16 | 1457 | 1631 |
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Sunday, February 03, 2008
Euroleague.net
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Euroleague / ULEB Cup teams
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