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The third European trophy and the fourth at international level, it was a great goal, a dream for AEK that was built to win the Basketball Champions League 2019/20, but failed at home. Elias Papatheodorou’s team was clearly defeated by the fantastic San Pablo Burgos (85-74) after two great appearances against Nimburg and Zaragoza, he closed the OAKA Final Eight in the worst possible way and now he has to collect his pieces to start the 2020/21 season out of breath.
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The four Spanish guards (Alex Renfro, Thad McFadden, Omar Cook, Víctor Benite) did things and miracles, with Cook scoring three rebounds in the second half that Burgos took with a 35-12 run. 17 shots from behind 6m.75 were scored by Penaroya’s players in the match, while AEK shot 48.6% on two points, 34.5% on three points, did not take much away from their super scorer, Keith Langford and lost the battle by rebound status.
The MVP
Thad McFadden with 18 points from 4/5 two points, 3/6 three points and 1/1 shooting, along with 6 rebounds and 5 assists was the top scorer of the winners and the MVP according to BCL, but who judged the game was Omar Cook. The gunpowder smoked playmaker was never a shooter, but at OAKA he scored 15 points from 5/8 triples and was the man who judged the game, as excessive as it might sound, from the second half when Burgos scored 35 points and went from – 10 at +13. He “hit” AEK who gave him a shot, he was ready for this great match and gave his team a worthwhile trophy.
THE WEAK LINK
Keith Langford. The MVP of the season had to carry AEK like he did throughout the season, but he didn’t. At 26:55 he had 11 points of 4/8 two points and 1/5 three points, he scored -13 in the +/- category (AEK lost by 13 points while on the court), he did not find a way to break the Spanish defense and lost in the mediocrity of his team. In any case, his terrible year is not off, but surely the last taste is bitter.
THE STATISTICS THAT stood out
Burgos closed the first ten minutes with 5/20 shots, Renfro – Benite had 4/12 and the rest only 1/8. As ineffective as the Spaniards were at first, they were so impressive in the second half that they won by a score of 35-12 (!) To put AEK in a very difficult situation from which they never escaped. By the end of the night, Burgos had scored 17 triples, an unrealistic performance for a game of such criticality and even at the opponent’s home. The winners had 14 more rebounds, covering their double errors (16-8) and returning to base victorious.
THE RACE
With the well-known five of Gika, Langford, Jankovic, Chrysikopoulos, Moreira, AEK opened the game, which went ahead with four (3-9 in 4 ‘) and saw the Spaniards have 1/11 of shots in the first five minutes of the party. Benite and Renfro left in the 8th minute with 4/12 shots (of their team’s 4/17), Rice entered the game and with seven consecutive points scored 14-22 before Zisis stole the ball and Slaughter closed with a foul. . the first ten minutes at 14-24.
Burgos entered the second stage in an impressive way. He made 4/4 shots, scored 11 points in two minutes and reduced from -10 to -1 showing great team reaction, with Omar Cook scoring four 3-pointers (!) For 31-31 of a very wild, beautiful, impressive final . The Spaniards scored 28 points in six minutes and built a seven-point lead (42-35) with scandalous basketball at both ends of the court, giving them even 13 points at halftime (49-36). From -10 to +13, with 35 points in the second ten minutes, with ten accurate triples, with four from Cook …
AEK wanted an outburst early in the third period to believe in being overthrown, but did not. The difference was 18 (56-38 in 23 ‘), Slaughter was injured and left, Rice and Langford lost one shot after another and the Spaniards maintained control with adequate basketball, good distances and without heroism. closed the quarter at +19 (68-49).
The entry of Lodzeski (who stayed too long on the bench) was a breath of fresh air for AEK, as the American scored three triples to close the gap to 14 (75-61) in the 33rd minute and give interest to the game . And while the defense of the yellows and blacks improved terribly, their attack was damaged. Pressure and anxiety took hold of the Papatheodoros players, Benite hit a great basket for 80-65 in the 36th minute and the game was finally decided there.
THE REFEREES: Viator, Rosso, Mazzoni
THE TEN MINUTES: 14-24, 49-36, 68-49, 85-74
ΜΠΟΥΡΓΟΣ (Penaroya): Benite 11 (2/6 two points, 2/4 three points, 3 assists), Cook 15 (5/8 three points, 4 assists), Horton 8 (2), McFadden 18 (4/5 two points , 3/6 three points, 1/1 shot, 6 rebounds, 5 assists), Renfro 11 (2), Kravic 1 (11 rebounds), Rampaseda 5 (1), Rivero 2, Sako 2, Salvo 12 (2)
AEK (Papatheodorou): Chrysikopoulos 8 (2), Gikas 5 (1/5 three points, 5 assists), Langford 11 (4/8 two points, 1/5 three points), Rice 17 (5/8 two points, 1 / 4 three points, 4/4 shots, 4 assists), Sloter 8 (4/4 two points), Jankovic 1, Lodzeski 9 (3), Matsiulis 6 (2/7 shots, 7 rebounds), Moreira 5 (1/6 two points, 7 rebounds), Rogavopoulos, Zisis 4
Burgos team statistics: 14/26 two points, 17/35 three points, 6/11 shots, 41 rebounds (30 defensive – 11 offensive), 17 assists, 6 steals, 1 blocking, 16 errors
AEK team stats: 18/37 two points, 10/29 three points, 8/11 shots, 27 rebounds (21 defensive – 6 offensive), 13 assists, 9 steals, 1 blocking, 8 errors
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