European Champions' Cup Play-Offs 1963-1964

The final was played in a roundtrip format and Real Madrid will face the return leg of the European Cup final with an eleven-point deficit and injuries to Luyk and Sevillano, a 'lesser evil' after weathering the storm that Spartak Brno subjected him to in the first leg. After a sensational start to the white team's match, in which they had a maximum lead of seven points (16-23), the Czechoslovakian team managed to equalise the score (24-24, min. 8), and from that moment on the match entered a phase of great equality. In the 12th minute, Sevillano had to retire from the track due to a foot injury, despite which Real Madrid managed to maintain the type and could reach the break with a tight score (54-53).

However, a Madrid bump at the start of the second half, caused by Spartak's rampage and player rotations to avoid a build-up, put the score at a dangerous 84-64 in favour of the home side (min. 25). Fortunately for Real Madrid, the five-time penalty shootout of the giant Koneny, and later Jan Bobrovsky's, meant that the Whites were able to react in time and close the gap (101-93). Then came Luyk's injury and the successive eliminations of Sainz, Descartin and Hanson, which meant that Real Madrid had to play the last few minutes with only two of their regular players, Emiliano and Burgess, and the reserves Palmero, Durand and Monsalve, which left the final score in a dangerous 110-99 for Spartak.

Courtesy of BasketFinals

Real Madrid - TJ Spartak Brno 110-99
Real Madrid CF (coach: Joaquin Hernandez): Julio Descartin 2, Lolo Sainz 8, Emiliano Rodriguez (187-F/G-1937) 28, Clifford Luyk 25, Bob Burgess 13; Carlos Sevillano 8, Bill Hanson
TJ Spartak ZJS (coach: Ivo Mrazek): Vladimir Pistelak 8, Zdenek Bobrovsky 14, Frantisek Konvicka 23, Jan Bobrovsky 8, Zdenek Konecny 2; Stanislav Milota 6, Frantisek Pokorny 3, Zdenek Vlk