Joventut continues dreaming of its Cup

The 'Penya' reacts, knocks out Baskonia and annuls the first 'jinx'

Club Joventut Badalona beat Cazoo Baskonia (94-81) this Friday in their Olympic, in the last of the Copa del Rey quarterfinals where the 'Penya' is the hostess and where they are still alive, thanks to a match that they broke up in the third quarter, with an inspired Joel Parra and with the Palau being player number 6.

From 4-17 in the first quarter it went to 68-57 at the end of the third quarter, which with 33-15 was the key of the game. In between, the 'Penya' had to carve out a victory that seemed distant, almost utopian. But, with work and faith, Carles Duran's men 'dry' Baskonia, found inspiration in Joel Parra, Vladimír Brodziansky and Ante Tomic -key at the end, with 18 points on his birthday- and got a ticket to the semifinals, where they will be measured at the Lenovo Tenerife.

The people of Tenerife won the Canarian derby against Gran Canaria and the 'Penya' beat a Cazoo Baskonia that many saw as a favourite. Now, verdinegros and aurinegros will fight for the final this same Saturday. Shock to which the 'Penya' will arrive more worn out by the effort made to break Baskonia, although the last minutes were a party, almost a walk.

A Joventut side liked that they forgot about the pressure of hosting and were able to change the course of a match that looked 'black'. First with Joel Parra, who reacted before any other teammate, then with Ante Tomic and with timely help from Andrés Feliz and Brodziansky... One by one the Joventut players joined the bandwagon bound for the semifinals.

Joventut came to win out of 19. A brutal difference after having been losing by 13 points. That third quarter in which the green-black beasts woke up was the essence of victory, with Baskonia 'en la Parra', anesthetized by the incessant three-pointers at that moment by Joel Parra, one of the jewels of the green-black youth academy.

Without a doubt, the Cazoo Baskonia missed Markus Howard. His top scorer, who aspired to be possible 'MVP' of this Cup if Baskonia was successful, will leave Badalona with 11 points, without being key and eliminated for committing 5 personal. Bad baggage for which he had to be one of the stars of this competition. And a lot of merit had a Kyle Guy who focused on marking him more than showing off offensively (although he finished with 10 points).

THE 'PENYA' CANCELLS THE FIRST GAFE

That shadow of 21 years without a host winning the Cup is still present, but the 'Penya' made it become somewhat smaller. The green-and-blacks, who did not take the lead until there were 7:30 left to go in the third quarter (46-44 with 2 1 from Feliz), had to row, with the help of their fans, to keep alive the hope of being able to break that 'jinx'.

The 'Penya' did not start well, gripped in attack and suffering behind to stop the duo formed by Rokas Giedraitis and Steven Enoch, who scored the first 11 and 6 points respectively for Baskonia, to put a bleeding 4-17 for a 'Penya' ' who passed halfway through the first quarter with that derisory score.

As an example, Ante Tomic did not see a ring or affordable shots. But in the second part he put in almost everything he touched and was the local hero. Like the green-black 'giant', the rest of the 'Penya' warmed up their wrists, especially Joel Parra who with 4 triples got his team into the clash and his fans, the majority at the Olímpic where they act as hosts, in the struggle. He dreams of the 'Penya'.

DATASHEET.

--RESULT: JOVENTUT BADALONA, 94 - CAZOO BASKONIA, 81 (35-42, at halftime).

--EQUIPMENT.

YOUTH BADALONA: Vives (2), Guy (10), Parra (15), Brodziansky (12) and Tomic (18) --starting five--; Ellenson (10), Feliz (10), Birgander (7), Busquets (2), Ribas (8) and Ventura (-).

CAZOO BASCONY: Thompson (11), Howard (11), Giedraitis (13), Costello (7) and Enoch (8) --starting quintet--; Heidegger (7), Sedekerskis (12), Marinkovic (7), Ten (3) and Kotsar (2).

-- PARTIALS: 14-19, 21-23, 33-15 and 26-24.

--REFEREES: Count, Knight and Serrano. Howard was eliminated at Baskonia.

-- PAVILION: Badalona Olympic.