BAXI Manresa falls with honor in Málaga at the start of the playoffs

87 Unicaja I Díaz 6, Kalinoski 11, Barreiro 9, Ejim 9 and Kravish 10; Osetkowski 6, Taylor 8, Carter 7, Djedovic 4, Lima, Thomas 9 and Sima 8

79 BAXI Manresa I Dani Pérez, Badio 8, Sagnia 4, Robinson 15 and Geben 6; Travanté 6, Dani García 6, Taylor 5, Steinbergs 11, Vaulet 6 and Oriola 12

Partials: 18-24, 16-16, 18-16, 35-23

BAXI Manresa showed a great image in Malaga and made the leader of the ACB regular league suffer until the end, a Unicaja that was superior in the last quarter thanks to the high defensive level and the success in the shot (87-79) .

The players led by Ibon Navarro made a better start and immediately took control of the electronics, reaching a margin of up to six points. However, the visitors reacted and scored eleven consecutive points to close the first quarter with a six-point lead (18-24).

Two triples by Dani García and Steinbergs put their team twelve points ahead and forced the Andalusian coach to stop the game (18-30). The timeout paid off, as the locals scored a 12-0 run that tied the game. The men from Manresa rallied and once again led the score, and a three-pointer from Badio made it 34-40 at halftime.

In the second half, Bages' team continued at a good level, they continued to take the initiative, although always with short leads, and closed the third quarter with a four-point lead (52-56).

In the last ten minutes, the Malaga team raised their defensive level and found success in their shooting. This allowed them to turn the score around and reach a maximum difference of thirteen points (76-63). Despite the adversity, Pedro Martínez's team did not give up and tried to re-enter the game, but they ran into a solid opponent who did not let the victory slip away.

The second match of the tie will be played on Tuesday starting at 8:30 p.m. at the Nou Congost.