For the club of the impossible, the most difficult yet. Never in the history of the Euroleague has any team come back from 0-2 down in a best-of-five-game series and this feat is looming this Wednesday (9:00 p.m., Dazn) Real Madrid against Partizan Belgrade at WiZink. After two victories for Zeljko Obradovic’s team as visitors (87-89 and 80-95) and two tie points saved by Chus Mateo’s team in Serbia (80-82 and 78-85), the series ends with 2- 2 in the crucial appointment that gives the pass to the Final Four in Kaunas (from May 19 to 21).
Punter’s decisive triple at the last second, the injury and return of Tavares, the punches, Yabusele’s tackle on Exum, the sanctions, the memory of the victims of the shooting in Belgrade… The quarterfinals between Madrid and Partizan have had of everything. And they come together in a clash in which Obradovic’s group recovers Punter, who struck down the whites in the first match, and for which the home side suffer the doubt of the injured Poirier and the absence of Deck, with a torn ligament in a knee, and Yabusele, still punished. That is to say, a hole in the position of four that Chus Mateo must patch to accompany the giant Tavares in the area, the most decisive piece so far in the tie.
“At a mental level we are fine. On a physical level, not so good. The good thing is that we have a mentality of fighting against adversity, not letting ourselves break down”, explained the Madrid coach, Chus Mateo, yesterday. Against it is not only the injury report and the historical weight that nobody came back from 0-2, but the imposing figure of Obradovic. The winning coach of nine European Cups (only one less than the Real Madrid basketball section) has overcome 20 of the 21 crosses he has faced in the European Cup (he only yielded in 2006 with Panathinaikos against Baskonia). “We have the best coach in Europe in front of us,” Rudy surrendered. The 38-year-old veteran forward summoned “the sixth man” who are the Palacio fans and asked the locker room for an extra effort to “be hungry in defense and demand them in attack.” “We do not trust victory at all because it would be a mistake. Mentally we have to be prepared for a difficult game. In the first two we were not the team we should be”.
“There is no past, there is no future. There is only one party”, reinforced Chus Mateo; “Anxiety played a very trick on us in the second game. We must have peace of mind, head and heart. Partizan is looking for its first Final Four in 13 years. Madrid has stepped on the final clash for the title five times since 2013. An exciting tie closes with another colossal match.
crosses and calendar
Olympiacos, 84; Fenerbahce, 72
Olympiacos advance to the Final Four 3-2
Today
Monaco – Maccabi. 20.00; 2-2 in the series
Real Madrid-Partizan. 9:00 p.m. (Dazn); 2-2 in the series
The Barca, who beat Zalgiris 3-0, will face Madrid or Partizan in the semifinals.
Final Four, from May 19 to 21 in Kaunas.
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