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jun 07 2026The green-and-black side secured the road victory at Buesa Arena and will advance to the Liga Endesa semifinals against Valencia Basket
A decisive game today at Fernando Buesa Arena. The final game of the series between Kosner Baskonia and Asisa Joventut. In the previous matchup, the Badalona side won at home 82-63 against a disorganized Baskonia.
After a great series, we'll see which team and style of play prevails: whether Joventut's impenetrable defense or Baskonia's unstoppable offense.
The game started with the following lineups:
BKN: Forrest, Spagnolo, Radzevicius, Kurucs and Diakité.
JOV: Rubio, Kraag, Parker, Ruzic and Birgander.
The first quarter showed a very balanced game with multiple lead changes. Kosner Baskonia started ahead with great intensity and concentration on defense, establishing a 6-0 lead in just over a minute. The Badalona side could get close with Simon Birgander as an offensive reference (6 points), facing a Joventut lacking ideas (10-6).
An unsportsmanlike foul by Eugene Omoruyi, heavily protested by the Buesa Arena crowd, led to a 13-13 tie that was followed by the first visiting lead (15-16) after a three-pointer by Hakanson, who was very sharp (2/2 from three). The individual talent of Luwawu-Cabarrot and Spagnolo gave their side the advantage back (21-19) and energized the Buesa Arena, which was very animated.
The first quarter closed with a minimal advantage for Galbiati's team, 24-23. Great quarter from Matteo Spagnolo, with 4 points, 4 rebounds and 1 assist.
Kosner Baskonia started the second quarter with more pace than Asisa Joventut. A 7-2 run began to open up the scoreboard (31-25). The visiting side regained the advantage by dominating the offensive glass (3 offensive rebounds versus 2 defensive rebounds for Baskonia) and with another three-pointer by Hakanson (31-32). The noise level in the arena rose with boos and whistles from the Gasteiz fans directed at the referees (33-37). The second personal foul on Kobi Simmons was the trigger for this.
The first half ended with a score of 38-41 after a quarter marked more by shadows than highlights from both teams. Ricky Rubio was the best of the period with 4 points and 2 assists.
The second half started and both coaches made changes to their starting lineups. Kosner Baskonia came out with: Spagnolo, Forrest, Luwawu-Cabarrot, Kurucs and Diakité. On the other side of the court, Asisa Joventut started with: Rubio, Hunt, Hanga, Parker and Birgander.
Dani Miret got the adjustments completely right. A 2-6 run made it 40-47, forcing Galbiati to call a timeout. After the timeout, the situation didn't change much. Ricky Rubio took control and, with five quick points, gave his team the first double-digit lead (42-52).
The Gasteiz side had trouble coming out of the locker room, very unfocused and protecting the defensive glass poorly. Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot was tasked with getting Galbiati's team back on track (56-60).
The game also heated up considerably, with unsportsmanlike fouls and multiple complaints to the referees from the crowd. Just when it seemed things were going back in Baskonia's favor, the usual suspect appeared: Ricky Rubio. The Catalan point guard hit two crucial three-pointers that gave his team plenty of breathing room (61-69). The quarter ended in a very frantic manner, with a buzzer-beater from Cameron Hunt (63-71). Mamadi Diakité was the best of the quarter with 7 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocks.
The final quarter started with a barrage of three-pointers from Hakanson and Parker to restore Joventut's double-digit advantage (68-79). Dani Miret's team didn't lose momentum; they kept punishing from beyond the arc (68-82). Despite the large margin, the Buesa Arena kept roaring and cheering for their team.
Paolo Galbiati's side improved defensively, but today wasn't their day from three-point range. They missed several free throws to add to the 8-of-25 they shot from three in the game (72-88). Galbiati's team had a small late run that gave their fans hope (79-90). Despite the effort, Asisa Joventut took the victory 88-96, ending a great season for Baskonia after winning the Copa del Rey.
The best player was Ricky Rubio, who played at an MVP level throughout the game and the entire series. The Catalan scored 23 points, distributed 4 assists, grabbed 3 rebounds and recorded 1 steal for a total of 28 efficiency rating points.
