TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz showed its strength right away by downing Real Madrid 76-63 at Fernando Buesa Arena on Friday.
Henry leads Baskonia past Real
Game Report
1 min read
TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz showed its strength right away by downing Real Madrid 76-63 at Fernando Buesa Arena on Friday. Pierria Henry led the winners with a career-high 23 points. Alec Peters added 18 while Rokas Giedraitis and Luca Vildoza each had 12 for Baskonia. Facu Campazzo led Real with 17 points. Jaycee Carroll and Walter Tavares each had 10 for the guests. It was a close game for the first three quarters, but Henry led a 14-4 run early in the fourth that allowed Baskonia to take full control until the final buzzer.
Regular Season
Round 1 of 34
Group Regular Season
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Anthony Randolph got Real going with a three-pointer but Henry and Peters quickly gave Baskonia its first lead, 5-3. Campazzo and Carroll scored from downtown in an 0-8 run, before Vildoza stepped up with a driving layup and close jumper, bringing Baskonia within 10-12. Carroll kept pacing Real with a fast break layup and a mid-range jumper but Achille Polonara and Ilimane Diop made it 15-16 after 10 minutes. Trey Thompkins joined the three-point shootout early in the second quarter, but Rokas Giedraitis matched that with a layup-plus-foul and added a floater for a 20-19 lead. Rudy Fernandez beat the shot clock with a wild triple and Randolph restored a 21-24 Madrid edge. Peters rescued the hosts with a three-point play and a bomb from way downtown, getting help from Henry to give Baskonia a 33-29 edge at halftime.
Campazzo bettered Peters's jumper with a triple soon after the break, then Carroll also struck from downtown and Tavares sank a jump hook to cap a 1-10 run that forced Baskonia to stop the game at 36-39. Vildoza took over with 4 quick points but Tavares and Campazzo fueled a 0-6 run that restored a 40-45 Real edge. Henry tried to change things for the hosts and Peters followed a layup with a turnaround jumper to put Baskonia back in charge, 52-49, after 30 minutes. Gabriel Deck took over with a three-point play early in the fourth quarter. Henry and Giedraitis each hit floater in a 6-0 run that made it a six-point game, 58-52. Campazzo scored twice in penetration but Henry did even better with a couple of a three-pointers and a jumper, good for a 66-56 Baskonia margin. Deck scored around the basket but Vildoza answered from beyond the arc to seal the outcome, 69-58, as Real never recovered.
Game Leaders
Pivotal performer
Pierria Henry was all over the court, finishing the game with a career-best PIR of 32. He had 23 points on 5-of-7 two-point shots, 2-of-4 from downtown and 7-of-8 free throws, and added 2 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals and 7 fouls drawn.
Game-changing moment
A three-point play by Gabriel Deck tied the game for the last time, 52-52. That's when Henry took over with a floater, a jumper, a pair of free throws and a couple of bombs from beyond the arc. He had 12 points in a 14-4 run that broke the game open, 66-56. Real called timeout but Baskonia stayed focused until the final buzzer.
Stellar stat
Real finished the game with only 7 assists, its worst mark in more than seven years. It last had 7 assists in a 76-73 home win against Brose Baskets Bamberg on February 28, 2013. In contrast, Baskonia had 12 assists.
Did you know?
For the first time since the new EuroLeague round-robin format was implemented, Real lost its first game of the season. Its previous loss on opening night came against Khimki Moscow Region, 84-70, on October 16, 2015.