Baskonia is the new king of Spanish basketball

Baskonia is the new king of Spanish basketball 10 years later. Ivanovic's team achieved the fourth CBA in its history after an exceptional and historic final, a war of nerves that was decided in the last two plays, as in the movies. Vildoza scored , Higgins failed . The glory and disappointment in a game that brought out the best of Baskonia, its character, and the worst of Barça, which did not measure up and closes a horrible year: zero titles, although the project was to win everything. Pesic's team, the one with the largest budget in European basketball, was the great loser. Also Mirotic, the MVP, who made a lousy game: -1 valuation. Vildoza was more decisive.

The staging of the Baskonia was splendid. At Barça Mirotic seemed fired , until they held him down. It was not just another game. It was a final. The heart, the emotion, the intensity, the little details ... Everything played. Ivanovic's team understood this well at first. Dusko had bet on two bases, Henry and Vildoza. The Argentine, who made two pipes in the first quarter, seemed inspired. Shields prevailed over Claver and only Mirotic's points , six, supported Barça, who got hooked on the free ones. Barça's energy in defense translated into a foul. That of the Baskonia in six. In the last minute, this statistic leveled off as much as the game (16-17) after a pat fromDiop .

Barça's reaction came with Heurtel and the second unit , a constant in recent games. The Catalan defense began to function. Baskonia went almost four minutes without scoring in a phase of the match in which Heurtel again remembered that of his best days. Ivanovic's team missed Shengeli a, somewhat frustrated because he is a player who needs to score to connect and did not. Barça threatened to start the break (37-28), but Baskonia grabbed. Diop helped him. This time the visit to the line was a resource for the team from Vitoria, who went to the locker room six down (39-33) after a Kuric explosion , fantastic from long and medium distance.

The Baskonia again used a fantastic third quarter to return to the battlefront, which it had never left. He put one more gear, with Barça gripped, with a lot of tension, and Mirotic without finding the pace of scoring that makes him happy. It was a hot match. The 17-4 set was crowned by a Dragic triple (43-47). Pesic turned to Heurtel again , savior again. He was the MVP of a men's game. In the last minute and a half no one scored. 51-51. Everything would be decided in the last quarter. A League in 10 minutes.

The tension could be cut at La Fuente de San Luis. The Baskonia took the initiative. Barça missed Mirotic, disappeared. Heurtel and Higgins came to the rescue of the azulgrana. Each basket was like a goal. It cost blood. Janning returned to what he was before the break. Mirotic left the game in the 35th minute with five fouls. He hadn't lived up to the appointment. The club suffered the blow, but clung to the meeting was a toss. There was no strength at all. In the last minute, Shields missed a triple that could have earned him the win. Oriola tied with two free with 10 seconds to go.The ACB was now played in 10 seconds. Dusko's blackboard worked and Vildoza scored. 3 seconds left. Higgins missed triple the win. Baskonia was champion. Barça was left blank.

Vildoza, MVP of the final, plays San Emeterio 10 years later:

Luca Vildoza with 3.4 seconds to go. A shot under the ring after a perfectly executed play that left him alone. This is how the Endesa League took Baskonia, with an action that is already part of the club's album. Like Fernando San Emeterio's 2 + 1, who just turned 10 years old and who had given the team from Vitoria what until yesterday was his last title. Vildoza is the new saint .

"How we suffered to get here!", Said the MVP baseman of the final after making 17 points, four rebounds, two assists and 20 valuation. "We deserved it for everything we worked on," he recalled. Especially him, weighed down by a shoulder injury when everything was normal and recovered during the break to arrive in time to become the idol of Baskonism, like other Argentines: Scola, Nocioni, Prigioni ...

Who was going to tell him? Who was going to tell Baskonia? In December, he wandered around the Endesa League and received overwhelming defeats in every Euroleague game. Until Dusko Ivanovic arrived. "Nobody believed in us back then, with the change of coach, but life is good and we are champions! His motherfucking! " Vildoza shouted.