Benetton Treviso-Cajasol Sevilla
Sevilla vince la seconda semifinale di Eurocup e si assicura la finale contro Kazan
Benetton Treviso-Cajasol Sevilla 63-75 (16-22, 33-40, 50-56)
Partial scores: 5' 8-10, 10' 16-22, 15' 21-36, 20' 33-40, 25' 38-49, 30' 50-56, 35' 56-68, 40' 63-75
Boxscore on:
Treviso starts with Markovic, Gentile, Smith, Motiejunas, Skinner. Sevilla answers with Bullock, Satoransky, Kirksay, Katelynas and Triguero. Katelynas dunks immediately after the start of the match and Bullock scores the 2-5 with a three point shot, answered by Gentile (by 2) and by Satoransky. Skinner and Motiejunas keep Treviso close to Sevilla on 8-10. On 10-12 Bullock grabs a foul on a 3pt shot and makes 3/3, then Katelynas scores the +7. Markovic is lucky from the 3pt line, but Sevilla seems to control the game with his backcourt players and grabbing fouls. The referees are very strict so there are many FT shots, then after the 16-19 there's a steal on Sevilla's half court and the crowd enters in the game, but Treviso has two turnovers, Sevilla scores with Ivanov and with Calloway (1/2) and the quarter ends on 16-22, Sevilla plays better in the paint and Treviso is really bad to attack on half-court offense.
Bulleri starts the second quarter with a 2+1, then Treviso plays the 2-3 zone defense but Sevilla finds some offensive rebounds and scores the 19-26 with Davis on fire and goes on 19-30 after the shot of Ivanov. On 21-32 Motiejunas commits the 3rd foul and the Spanish bigmen continue to dominate, Davis dunks on fastbreak the 21-36. Treviso comes back from the FT line (many many fouls) on 25-36, but Bullock with his experience keeps Sevilla in control. Then comes a bad part of the game, many errors also from the referees (Sevilla doesn't shoot two free throws that they deserved) and Treviso comes back in the game with Peric and Skinner, -7 on 31-38 at 55" fron the half time. After the timeout Peric scores the 33-38 on 1vs1 then there's a controversial episode with Kirksay fouled by Skinner (even probably there was not a foul), and after the instant replay the referees decide to assign the free throws because the foul arrived before the end of the 1st half. 2/2 and halftime on 33-40 with the crowd definitely in the game.
Brunner for Skinner is the only change in the starting fives of 2nd half from the starting fives of the whole match. After three errors Katelynas scores from 3pt line for the +10, while Treviso never scores from the 3p line. 35-46 after the scores of Bulleri and Davis (1/2 from the FT line), then Triguero from the line brings Sevilla to the +13 but Bulleri scores a three. 4th foul of Motiejunas and Satoransky scores 1 free throw, 38-49 at 25'. Now we have a nervous game, great energy under the boards, many drives of the guards to grab fouls and free throws. 40-51, then Bulleri commits his 4th foul and Repesa gets a technical foul. 4/4 of Urtasun and +15, timeout with Sevilla players that unleash the rage of the Treviso supporters celebrating the lead. After the timeout Treviso comes back to the 2-3 zone defense and tries to come back in the game with Peric and Gentile who score the 44-55. 4th foul also for Markovic with the 1/2 of Urtasun but the Serbian stays on the floor and scores the 3pt shot for the 47-56. The zone has positive effects for Treviso, Sevilla doesn't score and a 3pt shot of Smith finally unlocks himself with the three point shot that permits to Treviso to come back in the match. 50-56 at the end of 3rd quarter, we will have a great last quarter.
The last period starts with many errors, and the first score is the 1/2 of Davis (26/31 for Sevilla in 31'), then Gentile scores the 52-57. It's Kirksay time, who blocks Gentile on fast break and scores a three. Even the last quarter is very nervous and Bullock uses his experience to grab free throws. Another three of Kirksay for the +11, then the forward finds Davis for a nice dunk with a foul of Skinner, 56-67 that becomes 56-68 with 5'34" remaining. With an irregular screen called to Brunner Treviso has five players with 4 fouls, and Sevilla can manage the final part of the match counting on errors of Treviso players', but they don't score and Treviso on 58-68 with 2'40" remaining has a chance to come back in the match. But a 0/2 of Motiejunas and a missed 3-pointer of Markovic end the Treviso's hopes even if Markovic scores on fastbreak the 60-69 with 1'34" on the clock. The game ends on a foul of Peric that reacts to the referees' decision and gets called with a technical foul unleashing the crowd who throws some bottles on the floor. The match restarts with a 1/4 from the FT line and with a turnover but it's too late and Kazan will meet Sevilla in the final of this Eurocup. 63-75 the final result. Our MVP is Louis Bullock, even with a bad game from the 3p line.
Interviews:
Jasmin Repesa (Benetton head coach): "Congratulations to Cajasol who deserved the win, we played badly, we didn't respect our gameplan because they were more aggressive in the 1st half on offense and on defense. Then we became nervous and we did a lot of mistakes so they won. This game will be a lesson for our young players, Gentile and Motiejunas who suffered the physical play. Zone defense? We played a lot of zone defense because we had many time on the floor with 4 perimeter players and Skinner who is slow, but Cajasol grabbed a lot of offensive rebounds and did some 2+1 who were very tough for us. I don't speak usually about referees, we didn't lose because of referees but I'm very upset that the referee of my nation called me a technical foul after he made an error because Bulleri didn't commit the foul".
Joan Plaza (Cajasol head coach): "I have to thank my team because we played a great game against a team that I respect a lot, this is a great day for us, for Sevilla's basketball, for the fans. We have to finish the work and to win also tomorrow to grab the Cup. I have to thank especially Kirksay who is a great player, the key of this team even if often the press don't speak too much about him. Calloway? He has some problems, I hope that he can play tomorrow and he can play more than today".