Bilbao, Oct 2 (EFE).- The Surne Bilbao Basket and Adam Smith, a key player in the victory, thrilled the Miribilla fans this Sunday with a convincing victory against Real Betis Baloncesto by 85-70, the second of the Jaume Ponsarnau in just two days at the start of the league and the first at home in his first appearance at the Bilbao Arena.
The American shooting guard was the top scorer (25 points) and the best player of the game, appearing in important moments to launch his team. As in the first quarter to drive him to his first escape or in the last for the definitive escape on the scoreboard.
They especially helped Smith (25 PIR), a player who from the beginning has been responding to the scoring role in substitution of the injured Andrew Goudelock for whom he arrived in Bilbao, also point guard Ludde Hakanson (16 and 17) and centers Jeff Withey and Michale Kyser (15, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks between them).
In any case, Bilbao’s work was choral against a Betis misguided at many times. Especially their leader Shannon Evans (19, 2/11 in triples and 16) and BJ Johnson (16, 2/8 T2). More refined were Jeremiah Hill (9,11 and 19) and Rodions Kurucs (12 and 7 rebounds), but the Verdiblanco team added their second defeat in two days.
A 2+1 run by Withey (3-0) advanced the first quarter of local dominance at the start, although with some equality at the start (3-4, 5-6). But a first run by Adam Smith, with eight points in a row, gave Surne Bilbao their first relevant lead (13-6).
The Ukrainian Gerun then appeared with four points to close the gap (15-12), although between Rosa and Radiveciv, the latter with a lucky three-pointer to the board at the buzzer, again opened a considerable crack in the scoreboard at the end of the first quarter.
At the beginning of the second quarter, the ‘men in black’ (26-12, 30-16, 32-18) launched by Rosa and Alonso and in the midst of a tremendous mistake by Betis (0/ 9 in T3).
Evans adjusted his sights and his team, with three triples almost in a row, approached three points (34-31) with a 10-0 lead by the American point guard. His compatriot Smith stopped the Sevillian eagerness and Hakanson once again gave Bilbao Basket a good lead at the break (47-39).
The clash got stuck in the third quarter, in which both teams offered painful minutes before the rival basket, since the 11-13 with which it ended had more to do with lack of confidence and mistakes than with good defense. In this dynamic, especially angry with himself Radicevic, who missed several easy baskets. Although he was not the only dissatisfied person in that section (58-52).
Two three-point shots, a 2+1 from Kyser and a triple from Hakanson gave Ponsarnau a boost at the beginning of the last quarter (64-52).
He responded again with a 0-7 between Kurucs and Evans (64-59) but a new stellar appearance by Adam Smith pulled the locals again (73-59) to a victory that seemed certain with 76-61 with three to go. minutes to completion. A difference of 15 points, the maximum of the game, with which they also reached the end (85-70).
– Data sheet:
85 – Surne Bilbao Basket (23+24+11+27): Hakanson (16), Smith (23), Rabaseda (3), Andersson (7) and Whitey (9) -starting five-, Radicevic (5), Alonso (4), Reyes (2), Sulejmanovic (2), Kyser (6) and Rosa (8).
70 – Real Betis Basketball (12+27+13+18): Evans (19), Hill (9), BJ Johnson (16), Kurucs (12) and Tsalmpouris (1) -five starting-, Pozas (2), Cvetkovic, Bertans, Almazán, Báez (3), Sylla (2) and Gerun (6).
Referees: Miguel Ángel Pérez Pérez, Vicente Bultó and Fabio Fernández. Without eliminated.
Incidents: Match of the second day of the Endesa League played in Miribilla before 7,223 spectators, according to official data.
Ramon Orosa
(c) EFE Agency