Liga Endesa Round 14 (Regular Season): Barca defeat Real Madrid

Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

The most crucial game of the last round was a loss of top-ranked Real Madrid (12-2) at the home court on Sunday night. Hosts were defeated by fourth ranked FC Barcelona (10-4) 105-100. It ended at the same time the 11-game winning streak of Real Madrid. Barca made 17-of-19 free shots (89.5 percent) during the game. They outrebounded Real Madrid 35-22 including 22 on the defensive glass. Barca shot the lights out from three sinking 14 long-distance shots on high 56.0 percentage. Argentinian guard Nicolas Laprovittola (190-1990) orchestrated the victory by scoring 19 points and 9 assists (was perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line). Czech point guard Tomas Satoransky (201-1991, agency: Octagon Europe) contributed with 16 points and 5 assists for the winners. Croatian forward Mario Hezonja (202-1995) replied with 27 points for Real Madrid. Both coaches used bench players in such tough game. FC Barcelona have an impressive eight-game winning streak. Barca moved-up to third place, which they share with Murcia. Defending champion Real Madrid still keeps top position with two games lost. Barca is looking forward to face bottom-ranked Granada (#18) at home in the next round which should be an easy win for them. Real Madrid will play against Andorra (#16) and is hoping to win this game.
Very important is a road loss of third ranked UCAM (10-4) against tenth ranked Gran Canaria (6-7) on Saturday night. Visiting UCAM was defeated by Gran Canaria in a tough game in Las Palmas 72-77. Argentinian Nicolas Brussino (205-1993) scored 22 points to lead the charge for the winners and Mike Tobey chipped in 11 points and 7 rebounds during the contest. Canadian-Jamaican guard Dylan Ennis (188-1991, college: Oregon) responded with a double-double by scoring 14 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists. Both coaches tested many bench players in such tough game. Gran Canaria moved-up to ninth place. Murcia at the other side keeps the third position with four games lost. They share it with Barca. Gran Canaria will play against Zaragoza (#13) on the road in the next round. Murcia will play against Bilbao (#11) and hopes to get back on the winning track.
The game in Badalona was also quite interesting. 5th ranked Tenerife (9-5) played at the court of seventh ranked Joventut (9-5). Joventut defeated Tenerife 78-67 on Saturday. Ricky Rubio notched 12 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals to lead the effort. Even 11 points and 6 rebounds by Marcelinho Huertas did not help to save the game for Tenerife. Both coaches allowed to play bench players saving starting five for next games. Joventut moved-up to fifth place, which they share with defeated Tenerife. Joventut will meet Burgos SP (#17) on the road in the next round which should be an easy win for them. Tenerife will play against Lleida (#15) and hope to secure a win.

There were no big surprises in other games of round 14: Andorra was beaten by Baskonia on the road 99-92. Girona lost to Bilbao on its own court 89-93. Unicaja unfortunately lost to Rio Breogan in Lugo 82-98. Lleida recorded a loss to Zaragoza at home 77-87. Burgos SP defeated Granada on the opponent's court 107-90. Valencia smashed Manresa in a home game 103-76.
The most impressive performance of 14th round was 21 points and 5 rebounds by Jaime Pradilla of Valencia.



Baskonia - Andorra 99-92

No shocking result in a game when eighth ranked Baskonia (8-5) beat 16th ranked MoraBanc Andorra (4-10) in Vitoria 99-92 on Sunday. Baskonia looked well-organized offensively handing out 26 assists comparing to just 13 passes made by Andorra's players. French swingman Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (198-1995) notched 19 points and 4 assists to lead the effort and American guard Kobi Simmons (196-1997, college: Arizona) supported him with 19 points and 4 assists. Even 22 points and 4 assists by American-Guinean point guard Shannon Evans II (185-1994, college: Arizona St.) did not help to save the game for Andorra. Ukrainian center Artem Pustovyi (219-1992, agency: Octagon Europe) added 15 points and 6 rebounds (was perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line) for the guests. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Both coaches allowed to play bench players saving starting five for next games. Baskonia have a solid four-game winning streak. They moved-up to seventh place. Andorra lost fourth consecutive game. They keep the sixteenth position with ten games lost. Baskonia will meet Girona (#10) on the road in the next round. Andorra will play against the league's leader Real Madrid (#1) and will have a slim chance for a victory.
Top scorers:
Baskonia: S.Kobi 19+4ast, L.Timothe 19+4reb+4ast, D.Mamadi 15+6reb+1ast, H.Markus 11+1reb+1ast, K.Rodions 11+6reb+5ast, R.Gytis 8+5reb+4ast
Andorra: S.Evans II 22+4reb+4ast, A.Pustovyi 15+6reb+1ast, K.Kuric 14+1reb, A.Best 12+3reb+2ast, J.McKoy 9+5reb+1ast, M.Udeze 7+3reb

Girona - Bilbao 89-93

There was a minor upset when 9th ranked Basquet Girona (6-8) lost at home to eleventh ranked Surne Bilbao (6-8) 93-89 on Sunday. Bilbao made 25-of-33 free shots (75.8 percent) during the game. Swedish point guard Melwin Pantzar (190-2000) notched 11 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists to lead the effort and American Darrun Hilliard (198-1993, college: Villanova) supported him with 17 points. Even 16 points and 5 assists by American point guard Otis Livingston II (180-1996, college: GMU) did not help to save the game for Girona. Bosnian forward Nikola Maric (207-1998, college: UALR) added 12 points and 5 rebounds (on 6-of-7 shooting from the field) for the hosts. Four Bilbao and five Girona players scored in double figures. Both coaches allowed to play bench players in such tough game. Bilbao moved-up to tenth place, which they share with Rio Breogan and Girona. Bilbao will meet at home higher ranked Murcia (#3) in the next round and they do not belong to the favorites in that game. Girona will play against Baskonia (#7) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Bilbao: H.Darrun 17+2reb+1ast, K.Martin 14+3reb+2ast, F.Harald 12+2reb+4ast, P.Melwin 11+6reb+4ast, N.Margiris 10+2reb+1ast, J.Justin 10+3reb+2ast
Girona: O.Livingston II 16+2reb+5ast, M.Geben 12+5reb, N.Maric 12+5reb+2ast, M.Hughes 11+3reb+2ast, J.Busquets 10+7reb, J.Vildoza 9+4reb+3ast

Rio Breogan - Unicaja 98-82

There was a surprise result when fourteenth ranked Breogan Lugo (6-8) won against at home higher ranked Unicaja (8-6) 98-82 on Saturday. Rio Breogan looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists. Croatian center Danko Brankovic (217-2000) notched a double-double by scoring 16 points and 11 rebounds to lead the effort and Serbian Mihailo Andric (201-1994) supported him with 22 points (on 8-of-10 shooting from the field). Even 12 points and 5 rebounds by French forward Killian Tillie (208-1998, college: Gonzaga) did not help to save the game for Unicaja. Polish center Aleksander Balcerowski (217-2000) added 12 points for the guests. Four Rio Breogan and five Unicaja players scored in double figures. Both coaches allowed to play bench players saving starting five for next games. Rio Breogan moved-up to tenth place, which they share with Bilbao and Girona. Loser Unicaja dropped to the eighth position with six games lost. Rio Breogan will meet Manresa (#14) on the road in the next round. Unicaja will play against the league's second-placed Valencia (#2) and will have a slim chance for a victory.
Top scorers:
Rio Breogan: A.Mihailo 22+1ast, B.Danko 16+11reb+2ast, A.Francis 14+2reb+2ast, K.Arturs 12+3reb, A.Aleksandar 8+2reb, C.Keandre 7+2reb+1ast
Unicaja: A.Diaz 12+1reb+2ast, A.Balcerowski 12+2reb+2ast, K.Tillie 12+5reb+1ast, A.Rubit 11+1ast, C.Duarte 11+3reb+1ast, J.Barreiro 6+1reb

Lleida - Zaragoza 77-87

There was a minor upset when 13th ranked Lleida (5-9) lost at home to fifteenth ranked Zaragoza (5-8) 87-77 on Sunday. Zaragoza made 19-of-23 free shots (82.6 percent) during the game. Canadian guard Trae Bell-Haynes (188-1995, college: Vermont) notched 16 points and 8 assists to lead the effort and the former international Santiago Yusta (200-1997) supported him with 19 points and 5 rebounds. Even 15 points (was perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line) by American guard James Batemon (185-1997, college: LMU) did not help to save the game for Lleida. The former international swingman Oriol Pauli (201-1994) added 16 points for the hosts. Both coaches allowed to play bench players saving starting five for next games. Zaragoza moved-up to thirteenth place. Loser Lleida dropped to the fourteenth position with nine games lost. They share it with Manresa. Zaragoza will meet at home higher ranked Gran Canaria (#9) in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. Lleida will play against Tenerife (#6) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Zaragoza: Y.Santiago 19+5reb+1ast, B.Trae 16+2reb+8ast, R.Devin 12+3reb, S.Marco 9+1reb+3ast, S.Joel 8+2reb, R.Joaquin 7+3reb+1ast
Lleida: O.Pauli 16+3reb, J.Batemon 15+2reb+3ast, G.Goloman 12+3reb, J.Shurna 11+4reb, J.Millan 8+5reb+3ast, C.Krutwig 6+5reb+4ast

Gran Canaria - Murcia 77-72

Very important is a road loss of third ranked UCAM (10-4) against tenth ranked Gran Canaria (6-7) on Saturday night. Visiting UCAM was defeated by Gran Canaria in a tough game in Las Palmas 72-77. Murcia was plagued by 24 personal fouls down the stretch. Argentinian Nicolas Brussino (205-1993) scored 22 points to lead the charge for the winners and American-Slovenian center Mike Tobey (213-1994, college: Virginia) chipped in 11 points and 7 rebounds during the contest. Canadian-Jamaican guard Dylan Ennis (188-1991, college: Oregon) responded with a double-double by scoring 14 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists and American Michael Forrest (185-1999, college: FAU) scored 20 points. Both coaches tested many bench players in such tough game. Gran Canaria moved-up to ninth place. Murcia at the other side keeps the third position with four games lost. They share it with Barca. Gran Canaria will play against Zaragoza (#13) on the road in the next round. Murcia will play against Bilbao (#11) and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
Gran Canaria: B.Nicolas 22+2reb+2ast, P.Pierre 13+3reb+1ast, T.Mike 11+7reb+2ast, A.Andrew 6+3ast, W.Isaiah 6+4reb+1ast, A.Braian 6+4reb+2ast
Murcia: M.Forrest 20+1reb, D.Ennis 14+10reb+4ast, D.DeJulius 8+2ast, H.Sant-Roos 8+5reb+1ast, D.Cacok 8+2reb+1ast, E.Cate 6+6reb

Granada - Burgos SP 90-107

The game between closely ranked teams ended with seventeenth ranked Burgos' (3-11) road victory over bottom-ranked Coviran Granada (1-13) 107-90 on Saturday. Burgos SP dominated down low during the game scoring 62 of its points in the paint compared to Coviran Granada's 42. Burgos SP looked well-organized offensively handing out 22 assists. Gonzalo Corbalan notched 23 points to lead the effort and Brazilian Leonardo Meindl (201-1993) supported him with 15 points and 4 assists. Five Burgos players scored in double figures. Even 16 points and 9 assists by the former international point guard Lluis Costa (187-1993, agency: Octagon Europe) did not help to save the game for Granada. Bosnian-Italian Amar Alibegovic (206-1995, college: St.John's) added 17 points and 7 rebounds for the hosts. Both coaches allowed to play bench players saving starting five for next games. Newly promoted Burgos SP maintains seventeenth position with 3-11 record. Granada lost eighth consecutive game. They stay at the bottom place with 13 games lost. Burgos SP will meet at home higher ranked Joventut (#5) in the next round and they do not belong to the favorites in that game. Granada will play against Barca (#4) and will have a slim chance for a victory.
Top scorers:
Burgos SP: G.Corbalan 23+3reb+2ast, S.Jermaine 17+2reb, J.Jhivvan 15+1reb+3ast, M.Leonardo 15+4reb+4ast, H.Ethan 14+4reb, F.Luke 10+7reb
Granada: M.Thomas 17+1reb, A.Alibegovic 17+7reb+2ast, L.Costa 16+2reb+9ast, B.Olumuyiwa 9+5reb+2ast, J.Rousselle 8+1reb+1ast, L.Bozic 7+9reb+1ast

Joventut - Tenerife 78-67

The game in Badalona was also quite interesting. 5th ranked Tenerife (9-5) played at the court of seventh ranked Joventut (9-5). Joventut defeated Tenerife 78-67 on Saturday. The former international point guard Ricky Rubio (192-1990) notched 12 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals to lead the effort and American Cameron Hunt (192-1997, college: Southwestern, KS) supported him with 17 points. Even 11 points and 6 rebounds by Brazilian-Italian point guard Marcelinho Huertas (191-1983) did not help to save the game for Tenerife. American forward Tim Abromaitis (203-1989, college: Notre Dame) added 14 points for the guests. Both coaches allowed to play bench players saving starting five for next games. Joventut moved-up to fifth place, which they share with defeated Tenerife. Joventut will meet Burgos SP (#17) on the road in the next round which should be an easy win for them. Tenerife will play against Lleida (#15) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Joventut: H.Cameron 17+1reb+3ast, D.Sam 14+4reb+1ast, R.Ricky 12+7reb+6ast, K.Yannick 8+3reb, V.Guillem 6+3reb+3ast, H.Drell 6+1reb
Tenerife: T.Abromaitis 14+4reb, M.Huertas 11+6reb+3ast, W.Van Beck 11+1reb+2ast, J.Fernandez 9+4reb+2ast, G.Shermadini 6+5reb, F.Guerra 6+3reb+3ast

Real Madrid - Barca 100-105

The most crucial game of the last round was a loss of top-ranked Real Madrid (12-2) at the home court on Sunday night. Hosts were defeated by fourth ranked FC Barcelona (10-4) 105-100. It ended at the same time the 11-game winning streak of Real Madrid. Barca made 17-of-19 free shots (89.5 percent) during the game. They outrebounded Real Madrid 35-22 including 22 on the defensive glass. Barca shot the lights out from three sinking 14 long-distance shots on high 56.0 percentage. Argentinian guard Nicolas Laprovittola (190-1990) orchestrated the victory by scoring 19 points and 9 assists (was perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line). Czech point guard Tomas Satoransky (201-1991, agency: Octagon Europe) contributed with 16 points and 5 assists for the winners. Four FC Barcelona players scored in double figures. Croatian forward Mario Hezonja (202-1995) replied with 27 points and Argentinian point guard Facundo Campazzo (181-1991) added 15 points and 5 assists in the effort for Real Madrid. Both coaches used bench players in such tough game. FC Barcelona have an impressive eight-game winning streak. Barca moved-up to third place, which they share with Murcia. Defending champion Real Madrid still keeps top position with two games lost. Barca is looking forward to face bottom-ranked Granada (#18) at home in the next round which should be an easy win for them. Real Madrid will play against Andorra (#16) and is hoping to win this game.
Top scorers:
Barca: P.Kevin 19+1reb, L.Nicolas 19+1reb+9ast, S.Tomas 16+3reb+5ast, P.Joel 13+7reb, S.Tornike 8+2reb+1ast, H.Willy 8+10reb
Real Madrid: M.Hezonja 27+4reb+1ast, F.Campazzo 15+2reb+5ast, A.Feliz 10+2reb, W.Tavares 10+3reb, S.Llull 9+3reb+8ast, T.Lyles 9+1reb+3ast

Valencia - Manresa 103-76

There was no surprise when 12th ranked BAXI Manresa (5-9) was outleveled on the road by second ranked Valencia (11-2) 103-76 on Sunday. Valencia dominated down low during the game scoring 64 of its points in the paint compared to BAXI Manresa's 22. Valencia forced 22 Manresa turnovers. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 27 assists. The former international power forward Jaime Pradilla (202-2001) notched 21 points and 5 rebounds (on 10-of-12 shooting from the field) to lead the effort and American-North Macedonian Omari Moore (198-2000, college: SJSU) supported him with 13 points and 6 assists. Even a double-double of 12 points and 10 assists by the former international point guard Ferran Bassas (181-1992) did not help to save the game for Manresa. German forward Louis Olinde (205-1998) added 11 points for the guests. Five Valencia and four Manresa players scored in double figures. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Valencia have a solid three-game winning streak. They maintain second position with 11-2 record behind leader Real Madrid. Loser BAXI Manresa dropped to the fourteenth place with nine games lost. They share the position with Lleida. Valencia will meet at home Unicaja (#8) in the next round where they are favorite. Manresa will play against Rio Breogan (#12) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Valencia: P.Jaime 21+5reb+3ast, M.Omari 13+3reb+6ast, M.Jean 12+2reb+3ast, R.Nathan 11+2reb+1ast, d.Sergio 10+5reb+6ast, S.Neal 10+2reb+1ast
Manresa: F.Bassas 12+1reb+10ast, A.Ubal 11+5reb+1ast, M.Steinbergs 11+2reb, L.Olinde 11+4reb+3ast, P.Oriola 8+7reb+1ast, A.Reyes 8+5reb