Pedro Martínez (62 years old) has something special. It could be confused with experience, trade, smell, know more for old than for devil. With the Barcelona coach on the bench, CB Manresa has been able to storm the Blaugrana feud and the White Castle in the same season, which it has plundered three times in the last decade: nine years ago, in the 2014-2015 season (80 -90), achieving permanence on the last day; two ago, in the 2021-2022 campaign (75-86) with 20 points from Luke Maye, and yesterday, for 72-83, with a masterful performance by the 25-year-old Senegalese point guard Brancou Badio, who scored 12 in the last quarter
In the preview of this 27th day of the ACB League, Pedro Martínez commented from the bowels of the Nou Congost that the miracle was possible. "If we manage to play our basketball, we may have some chance of making a surprise." And so it was. Baxi Manresa dominated the four periods and they knew how to "maintain composure and be stable when [Madridistas] were placed within two points without panicking, playing very well in the last minutes when the game was decided", he point out the coach, who sees how his team, with its historic fifth victory at home (for the first time in 50 years), consolidates the 8th place that gives access to the playoffs for the title.
The beginning at the WiZink Center did not foreshadow the outcome. With a fluid game and good percentages, Madrid took advantage of Manresa's apathetic start to score 11-2. Pedro Martínez called the team to order and Manresa reacted by reversing the score with 15-17 at the end of the first quarter, in which the whites' lousy three-point percentage stood out (2 of 10).
In the second quarter, Baxi Manresa's intensity, thanks to the rotations of Pedro Martínez, allowed the distance to grow to 23-31 (at 15 minutes), with excellent play direction from Dani, Pérez and García.
Real Madrid compressed the score when they reached the break (34-41) thanks to Robinson's successful score. But Manresa, very solid, escaped again until 38-49 (minute 26), which forced Chus Mateo to stop the clock. More by heart than luck, and with the impetus of Poirier or Deck, the white team bordered on the comeback. He got to one point, 63-64, but, at that decisive moment, the Catalan team found a guide to trust: Brancou Badio carried the team on his back and scored 12 of his 20 points in the final quarter, with two lethal triples, to secure the victory.
In Granada, Joventut fell against Coviran by 86-83 with a 9-0 run in three minutes (they dominated by 72-75). Barça beat Monbus Obradoiro 84-89 with 21 points from Laprovittola and 18 from Vesely.
