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may 14 2026VITORIA. Baskonia secured a crucial Liga Endesa victory over UCAM Murcia 87-80 in a direct battle for playoff positioning. Pablo Laso's squad not only claimed a vital win but also the head-to-head tiebreaker against a direct rival in the fight for a top playoff seed in the ACB.
The game started with significant offensive struggles for UCAM Murcia. Sito Alonso's squad was highly inaccurate from three-point range from the opening minutes, and Baskonia capitalized on that situation to build early leads thanks to the individual quality of their perimeter players and much more solid defense.
With an initial 12-6 lead, the visitors tried to respond with the introduction of Cacok and Sant-Roos, who brought more balance to the Murcia squad. Shortly after came one of the heated moments of the game, with a scuffle between Diakité and Cacok that also involved Omoruyi and Sant-Roos.
After reviewing the play on Instant Replay, the referees called unsportsmanlike fouls on Diakité and Cacok and a technical foul on Omoruyi and Sant-Roos, before the game resumed its normal course.
Baskonia continued to find better rhythm despite their perimeter inconsistency. Omoruyi took on offensive responsibility in the first quarter and allowed the home team to close the period with a slight advantage (20-18).
UCAM Murcia's major problem was three-point shooting. The Murcia squad kept insisting from beyond the arc despite their poor accuracy and paid a heavy price for that offensive approach. With just 1 of 16 from three-point range, the visiting squad allowed Baskonia to open up a gap in the second quarter.
A three-pointer by Simmons extended the lead to 35-25 and forced Sito Alonso to call a timeout. Shortly after, Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot emerged, completely unleashed on offense during the final stretch of the first half.
The Frenchman reached halftime with 17 points, and a three-pointer of his made it 38-25, Baskonia's largest lead to that point. Still, a long-range shot by David DeJulius allowed UCAM Murcia to head into halftime with options still alive (43-33).
After the break, Baskonia struck again. Simmons began to dominate offensively against the visitors' lack of defensive response, and the Vitoria squad reached significant leads once more (52-35).
UCAM Murcia resisted thanks to the offensive talent of David DeJulius, who kept Sito Alonso's squad alive practically single-handedly. The back-and-forth scoring didn't benefit the visitors, but it did prevent the game from getting completely out of hand before the fourth quarter.
With 67-53 at the end of the third quarter and the ejection of Sander Raieste on fouls, Baskonia appeared to have the game under control. However, UCAM Murcia still had one last comeback in them.
The Murcia squad began to cut into the deficit led by an outstanding DeJulius, who finished the game with 32 points. The visiting squad even got to within just one point (76-75), putting pressure on a Baskonia team that was beginning to feel the tension of the moment.
But just when UCAM Murcia was tightening the screws, Simmons appeared again. Five consecutive three-pointers from the outside gave the Vitoria squad breathing room and essentially sealed the game.
In the final seconds, there was still the head-to-head tiebreaker to decide between the two teams. A 2+1 by Radebaugh seemed to maintain that advantage for UCAM Murcia, but a decisive three-pointer by Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot ultimately gave that factor to Baskonia as well.
Luwawu-Cabarrot was the game's best player with 25 points, while Simmons added another 21 in a crucial victory for the Vitoria squad. For UCAM Murcia, David DeJulius scored 32 points and practically single-handedly kept the visitors' hopes alive.
With this victory, Baskonia enters the fight for second place in the Liga Endesa and further tightens the battle for the top four. With three games remaining, Baskonia, UCAM Murcia, Barcelona, and Valencia Basket remain separated by very little in a wide-open standings.
