Howard and Baskonia are 'sweet' and Básquet Girona slows Joventut

MADRID, 3 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) -

Cazoo Baskonia reached Real Madrid and Barça in the 2022-2023 Endesa League leadership and sealed their ticket to the Badalona Copa del Rey by beating Coviran Granada at home (84-95) and maintaining their excellent moment, something that Joventut could not emulate, defeated (79-66) in Girona, while Valencia Basket and Real Betis were able to beat Carplus Fuenlabrada (92-86) and Gran Canaria (88-82), in matches corresponding to the fourteenth day of the championship played this Tuesday.

Nothing seems to stop Baskonia right now, who savored their return to the cup tournament that they missed last season thanks to their twelfth consecutive victory among all competitions and again with a differential Markus Howard.

The American point guard is proving to be a great success for the team from Vitoria and after his exhibition to close 2022 against Real Madrid in the Euroleague, he again left his level at the Palacio de Deportes de Granada with 32 points, 22 of them in a second half where Joan Peñarroya's men put their victory on track.

And it is that the group from Granada knew how to stand up in the first 20 minutes and control a Baskonia that, despite everything, went ahead at halftime (38-41). However, he came back strong and, above all, with the aim that had been lacking from the line of three.

The visiting team only had a poor 1/10 at halftime in this facet, but woke up thanks to Howard, who signed a 6/8 in the second 20 minutes, a weapon that Coviran Granada could not stop, which lost the wake of his rival in the third quarter (20-30) and could no longer recover the lost ground.

The one who could not continue with their great run at the end of 2022 was Joventut, who after chaining six consecutive wins in the Endesa League, fell clearly 79-66 against Bàsquet Girona who achieved their fourth win.

Carles Duran's men arrived at Fontajau ready to add their tenth win and continue in the fight to be seeded in 'their' Cup, but they ran into a great team from Girona, who broke the duel in the second quarter.

Thus, with the match tied at 25-23 in the electronic, the 'Penya' was left without scoring for six minutes and his rival did not waste it to endorse him a severe 14-0 run that took off on the scoreboard and gave him a advantage that not only lost but even increased to have a second part without urgency.

In addition, Real Betis ceased to be bottom and caught air thanks to their third victory of the season by defeating Gran Canaria 88-82, who backed down in their attempt to get closer to the ticket to play the Copa del Rey.

The Andalusian team, after closing 2022 with three straight losses, started 2023 much better after a good game that failed to take advantage of its dominance in a section of the second quarter, but where it managed the final tension well thanks again to point guard Shannon Evans, author of 28 points, 18 in the second half, with 6/9 on triple.

Without the best version of the American, the locals came to dominate 40-28 in the second quarter, but the success in the triple (5/5), the points from John Surna (10) and the defense allowed the Porfi Fisac ​​to rebuild and reach the break with options (50-47). From there, the equality was maintained and although the Canarian team came to take the lead in the final quarter, Evans, with a three-pointer with 1:30 to go, made it 83-77 that Betis knew how to manage.

Finally, Valencia Basket returned to the path of victory after closing the year with defeats in the domestic championship against Gran Canaria and in the Euroleague in Milan after beating Carplus Fuenlabrada, the new bottom team, 92-86.

The 'taronja' team found resistance from their rival in the first 20 minutes, where, despite the good work of Jasiel Rivero (11 points), his poor triple percentage (5/17) and his losses (9) weighed him down against a much more accurate 'Fuenla' from the line of three.

However, Alex Mumbrú's men improved after passing through the changing rooms and with the defensive improvement, more skill from the triple and the points from Jared Harper (8) they managed to break the game with a 7-0 run that took them off in the marker with an income that the visiting team could no longer play.

Harper, with 18 points and 5 assists, was the best for a Valencia Basket that added its seventh victory in the Endesa League to continue with its intact aspirations of entering the Copa del Rey, while that of Carplus Fuenlabrada, which chained its seventh defeat followed, the 'double-double' of Viny Okouo (12 points and 12 rebounds) stood out.