Real Madrid and Unicaja de Málaga meet this Saturday in the first semifinal of the Copa del Rey basketball, which will take place from February 16 to 19 at the Badalona Olympic Stadium. The Andalusians reach the tie after having given the surprise by beating Barcelona in extra time in the quarterfinals (87-89).
The current champion will no longer be able to revalidate the title, after being eliminated by Ibon Navarro's team. The people from Malaga, led by Darío Brizuela (27 points) and Kendrick Perry (22), held on to the game despite spending a good part of the game behind on the scoreboard against an opponent who was losing steam as the match progressed.
Opposite will be Real Madrid, who did not have an easy time against Valencia Basket (86-85), who had the last possession to win on a double chance by point guard Chris Jones. Gabriel Deck, with 19 points and 9 rebounds, and Mario Hezonja, with 16 points, supported the white team, which was very erratic from the 3-point range (5 of 27) and which remained on top thanks to his skill, physical exuberance and mastery of the rebound ( 45 to 35 of his rival).
The bad news for the whites is the injury to Sergio Llull. Coach Chus Mateo confirmed the worst omens regarding the left knee injury that the shooting guard suffered against Valencia Basket and stated that it is "quite likely that he will not be able to form part of the team for the rest of the Copa del Rey".
As explained by the Madrid coach, the player's "knee buckled" and "the left lateral ligament" of his extremity was affected.
The match between Real Madrid and Unicaja de Málaga in the semifinals of the Copa del Rey will be played this Saturday, February 18, at the Badalona Olympic Stadium, starting at 6:30 p.m. The match can be seen on Movistar television and can also be followed live on the La Vanguardia website.
