Prematch
Having grown up in the Netherlands- a country with an abundance of two-meter-tall giants- basketball always seemed foreign to me. Not only because I did not end up growing over average height, but also because the sport was literally seen as foreign. It simply wasn’t a popular sport while I was growing up. I eventually got into the sport through video games and highlights I would see on social media. But this exposure was limited to the NBA. So how would European basketball stack up to my expectations regarding the sport?
To answer this question, I found myself in Madrid on a Sunday afternoon in Salamanca -one of the more central neighborhoods of the Spanish capital- where the Movistar Arena would serve as the stage for Real Madrid versus Bilbao Basket. Third versus eighth in the league with a head-to-head record of 11 to 4 in favor of the hosts -who have come out victorious in 4 of the last 5 times these two teams faced each other. Madrid seemed to be the favorites going into this game having won their last 5 home games truly turning their homebase into a fortress.
I arrived at the arena an hour and a half early, on time. As any journalist should. This gave me the opportunity to watch the team’s warmup. Which was quite impressive. Not only because most of the players were at least 20 centimeters taller than me but also because every shot they were taking seemed to go in. Which seemed incredible. Since every time I play basketball my friends and I seem to struggle with a simple layup or a free throw.
Tip off
The atmosphere was lit from the tip off. With Madrid opening the score with a three-pointer and the fans with a chant accompanied by drums. The hosts seemed to be putting pressure on Bilbao from the start. The visitors had the first five fouls called against them within the first five minutes of the game. Now the question would be if Madrid would be able to keep up this level of intensity.
The second quarter proved exactly how close a game this was going to be. With Bilbao closing the gap between them and hosts Madrid even managing to take the lead at the end of the first half. Going into the break with a score of 39-43. This resurgence really being led by Swiss point guard Melwin Pantzar who lead his team in scoring in the first half with 13 points coming off the bench.
Everything seemed to liven up in the end of the third quarter. Whilst the Madrid players were breaching the Bilbao defense to put up a comeback the crowd. Erupted when they finally did with a minute left to spare in the quarter. When they got a foul called against them giving Bilbao two shots from the line the crowd roared when the first of these two shots bounced off the rim. Then in the dying moments of the quarter with 3 seconds left on the clock Madrid point guard Facu Campazzo broke loose attempting a buzzer beater to widen the score. The crowd went silent. But alas it was blocked by Bilbao’s no. 7 Justin Jaworski. Meaning the hosts would start the final quarter just a point ahead.
The score was tight, and it would stay that way. Causing the crowd to erupt in emotions with every point scored by the home team. This game was calling out for a hero. But who would step up to pull the game to their teams’ favor? Well, this became evident within the first two minutes of the fourth quarter. Madrid center Usman Garuba would first score a three pointer, putting his team in the lead and not a minute later he would put block an attempt by Bilbao’s Icelandic big man Tryggvi Hlinanson. The Spanish big would help set up his team for victory. With the match ending 82-70 for Real Madrid.
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