Spanish League Finals, Game 2: May 31, 2008
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Tau Ceramica moved to the brink of its second Spanish League title by defeating AXA F.C. Barcelona on the road 74-78 on Saturday to take a 2-0 lead in their best-of-five playoff finals. Tau, which had also won Game 1 in Barcelona, will get two tries at home now to clinch the title. Tau led Game 2 from tipoff to final buzzer, but never by more than 9 points. Barcelona tied several times in the first half and came within a basket several others in the second before Pete Mickeal's free throws with 13.1 seconds assured Tau of the victory. Mickeal led the winners with 20 points to go with 6 rebounds and 3 steals. Igor Rakocevic follwed with 17 points, Mirza Teletovic with 13 and 7 rebounds, Tiago Splitter with 12, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks. For Barcelona, Ersan Ilyasova had his second consecutive double-double in the series, 15 points and 10 rebounds. Roger Grimau was Barcelona's only other double-figure scorer, with 11 points. Game 3 is on Tuesday in Vitoria.
Tau served notice early that it was not content with having taken Game 1 in Barcelona, racing to a 2-10 lead behind three-point plays by Teletovic and Mickeal. Ilyasov and Gianluca Basile combined to get Barcelona within 2 points of the lead once before the first quarter ended 16-20. Mickeal scored the first baskets of the second quarter as Tau re-establised a 16-24 advantage, before Jaka Lakovic and Grimau forged the first of several ties at 28-28 for Barcelona. A triple by Rakocevic broke one of them, and his next shot in left Tau holding a 36-40 halftime edge. Teletovic, Splitter and Rakocevic, with another three-point shot, extended Tau's advantage early in the third quarter until Mickeal supplied the high of 9 points, 42-51. Pepe Sanchez was Barcelona's answer this time, with 6 points in a minute that made it 51-53. Mickeal and Rakocevic re-opened the difference, but Grimau kept the hosts as close as 54-57 after three quarters. Denis Marconato brought Barcelona within 56-57 to open the final quarter, but Splitter helped Tau stay one step ahead for several minutes. The guests seem to sentence the game with Pablo Prigioni's three-point play was followed by a three-point shot by Teletovic that was good for a 65-72 score with just over 2 minutes left. Barcelona still had plenty to say, however. Sanchez, Mario Kasun and Ilyasova, with a triple, made it 72-74, before Splitter hit 2 of 4 free throws already in the final minute. Kasun's dunk with under 20 seconds left gave Barcelona a last hope, but Mickeal completed a 10-for-10 night at the foul line with his last pair, giving Tau a strong upper hand in the trophy chase.
| Finals Playoffs, best of 5 games |
| Record | Team | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 | Game 4 | Game 5 | | 0 | AXA FC Barcelona (3) | 64 | 74 | June 3 | *June 5 | *June 8 | | 2 | Tau Ceramica (4) | 75 | 78 | - | - | - |
| Finals games | | Game 1 | AXA FC Barcelona vs. Tau Ceramica | 64-75 | May 29 | | Game 2 | AXA FC Barcelona vs. Tau Ceramica | 74-78 | May 31 | | Game 3 | Tau Ceramica vs. AXA FC Barcelona | - | June 3 | | Game 4 | Tau Ceramica vs. AXA FC Barcelona | - | *June 5 | | Game 5 | AXA FC Barcelona vs. Tau Ceramica | - | *June 8 |
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