Spanish League Finals, Game 1: June 17, 2007 Real Madrid dominated in offensive rebounding and exploded on offense at the finish to defeat Winterthur FC Barcelona 69-62 at home in Game 1 of the best-of-five Spanish League finals on Sunday. After scoring just 8 points in the entire third quarter, Madrid had 9 in the game's last 2 minutes, including decisive three-pointers by Axel Hervelle and Marko Tomas. The man of the match, however, was Felipe Reyes, whose 17 points came with 11 rebounds, including 8 of his team's 19 offensive boards. Reyes put back one of those offensive rebounds to force the last lead change, and grabbed another that led to Hervelle's killer triple. Hervell was Madrid's other double-digit scorer, with 10 points, and also pulled down 9 rebounds. Juan Carlos Navarro was Barcelona's main gun, with 17 points, although his open miss from downtown late in the game hurt the visitors. Fran Vazques followed him with 12 points and 10 rebounds, while Jaka Lakovic had 9 and 7 assists. Game 2 of the series is Tuesday night, also in Madrid. Big men dominated the early going. Reyes and Jerome Moiso of Madrid dueled Vazquez and Denis Marconato to a 6-6 tie before Gianluca Basile hit the game's first triple for an 8-9 Barcelona advantage. Marconato's three-point play and Vazquez's free throws pushed the guests ahead by 10-16 and Jordi Trias supplied the high lead of the quarter, 14-21. Reyes, tipped in a Lou Bullock miss at the buzzer, leaving an 18-21 score after 10 minutes. Madrid tied on Mumbru's triple to start the second quarter and soon went ahead 24-23 when he knocked down another. The hosts nursed the lead to as high as 32-27 before Navarro, Trias and Mario Kasun cut it to 34-33, but Mumbru and Raul Lopez pushed Madrid in front again 38-33 at the half. A nervous third quarter saw Madrid struggle to score while Barcelona seized a 38-40 lead with 7 points in a row by Lakovic and Navarro. The visitors got another pair of triples from those two, but Madrid stayed within shouting distance at 42-46 before Reyes finished the quarter with inside baskets to tie 46-46. Navarro fired Barcelona ahead from downtown to start the last one, but soon Madrid had the last word. Reyes resurfaced to put back his team's 18th offensive rebound for a 60-59 lead with 2 minutes left to play. Tomas got the line next, made the first free throw and missed the second, whose rebound went to Reyes and was soon converted by Hervelle to a three-pointer that broke the game at 64-59 wiith a minute to play. Just to make sure, however, Tomas blasted a new triple that made it 67-60 and settled the outcome. SPANISH LEAGUE: Final Playoffs, best of 5 games Record Team Game 1 Game 2 Game 3 Game 4 Game 5 1 Real Madrid (2) 69 June 19 June 22 June 24* June 26* 0 Winterthur FCB (4) 62 - - - - Final Playoffs Games Game 1 Real Madrid vs. Winterthur FCB 69-62 June 17 Game 2 Real Madrid vs. Winterthur FCB - June 19 Game 3 Winterthur FCB vs. Real Madrid - June 22 Game 4 Winterthur FCB vs. Real Madrid - June 24* Game 5 Real Madrid vs. Winterthur FCB - June 26* Sunday, June 17, 2007 Euroleague.net