Real Madrid are the first team to reach the ACB League final after seeing off Barcelona at the Palau to make it 3-0 in the series. A win that was founded on a great first quarter with 28 points and a +11 lead that we defended with determination, fight and teamwork until the end in the face of the pressure that our opponents and their fans exerted on us. Trailing by three with two minutes left to play, we went on a 0-8 run, which keeps up our unbeaten run in the playoffs and sets the all-time record for wins in a season with 69. Campazzo (27), Musa, Yabusele (20), Tavares (19) and Poirier (17) combined for 103 of the team’s 117 points scored. In the final, which will start on Friday 7 or Saturday 8, we will meet the winner of Unicaja-UCAM Murcia (1-2).
Everyone was expecting a strong start from Barcelona. On their home court and playing for their lives, they had no other option. The Catalans came out very aggressive at the back and Parker was the star in attack with 5 points in the first three minutes (7-2). What the home side didn’t expect was Real Madrid’s approach, who quickly grasped that intensity and effort were going to be non-negotiable. They matched the defensive strength, once again with an outstanding Causeur who kept Laprovittola to zero points, and gave a masterclass in attack. Campazzo was very sharp (8 points), Tavares was the central focus, and was brilliant from the three-pointer (5 and 71%), and Madrid went on to score 28 points. A 0-12 run in two minutes put us ahead in the fourth and we took an 11-point lead (17-28).
Containment work
Barcelona tried to break Madrid’s rhythm playing on the edge and putting a lot of pressure on the atmosphere. This cost them two technicals and the dismissal of Vesely in the second quarter, but it paid off. The game got tougher, our three-point percentage dropped and they began to score more fluently and gain confidence. Brizuela, Parker and Hernangómez tried to knock Madrid out of the lead. To no avail, as Chus Mateo’s men resisted the home side’s onslaught with their heads and without rushing. Yabusele and Tavares, the most outstanding players in the first half, came through to keep us on top at half-time at 45-49.
It became even more difficult in the third quarter, with continuous stoppages and a lot of contact and personal fouls. Barcelona took advantage of this lack of control, relying on three-pointers from Satoransky and Parker to get into the game and even take the lead. Madrid struggled but worked hard not to lose focus. Hezonja, Campazzo and Musa, in different stages of this period, pulled the team together to counter the home side’s surge (76-72, min.30).
The champion’s mentality
It was by far the toughest Clásico. Every ball was becoming a battle. Two new players emerged on the scene for each team. Ricky Rubio and Poirier engaged in a scoring duel. Eight consecutive points from our centre neutralised the disadvantage at 33′ before opening the way for a time of changes on the scoreboard. A three-pointer from Laprovittola made the game 90-87 with two minutes to go. High pressure and a tricky moment. However, if there is one team that knows how to handle this, it’s Real Madrid. They saved their best for last, finishing off a spectacular semi-final with a 0-8 run, where they played perfect defence, closed down the rebounding and stopped Barcelona, who were unable to score a single point. Tavares was unbeatable and Campazzo, the MVP of the game, was instrumental with six points and the play of the game, in which he went off three players and made it 90-94 with 22 seconds to go (92-95, min.40).