Madrid’s 37th, Rudy Fernández’s seventh. The white team secured a new ACB League by beating UCAM Murcia 73-84, scoring 3-0 in the final and crowning the eternal 39-year-old forward with another achievement for his legendary record. It was Rudy’s farewell with the Madrid shirt before the challenge of qualifying with the national team for the Games and becoming the only basketball player in history with six Olympic participations. Then will come the retirement of a player who with Madrid has collected seven Leagues, six Cups, nine Super Cups and three Euroleagues. Chus Mateo’s team honored one of its myths with its sixth league laurel in the last 10 editions and immaculate qualifying rounds: 2-0 against Gran Canaria in the quarterfinals, 3-0 against Barça in the semifinals and 3-0 against UCAM Murcia in the final. Honors also for Sito Alonso’s team.
Madrid was in a hurry to finish the job and Musa and Hezonja, two basket builders, took the first bite (0-5). It took Sito Alonso only a minute and a half to send his boys to the thinking chair. UCAM wanted to travel quickly, but there was some haste in their game. A triple from Ennis was the only joy in the middle quarter. Again a short score and a suffocating game; Neither coach moved the bench until after eight minutes. Chus Mateo pulled Sergio Rodríguez, who was turning 38, and Abalde to handcuff Ennis, the great agitator with three bingos from the perimeter. The home group stopped one of its water leaks: Madrid did not catch a single offensive rebound in a first stretch that ended behind (19-17).
That UCAM Murcia defense was worth gold. Madrid stayed with the ball in their hands without going beyond midfield. The white team was preparing a quintet with a lot of tonnage, with Hezonja as three. Of course, there is no better muscle than Chacho’s brain to discover spaces. The formula, however, did not work for Chus Mateo’s team, surpassed by a UCAM that moved the ball at ease, attacked the paint and adjusted the goalposts (29-21). The losses condemned the Madridistas, stuck in production and incapable of destruction. Campazzo and Tavares returned to the arena and Rudy made his debut after his performance in the second game. UCAM was plugged in and Madrid could not find a second of respite in their basket or an centimeter in the rival. The locals scored with Sleva, Diagné… Only Llull’s first triple after 12 consecutive misses in the series relieved the visitors (40-32 at halftime).
“Go for them!” demanded Sito Alonso. The third quarter began with the ball stopped, some free throws for UCAM due to a technical to Causeur. And at 37 seconds an unsportsmanlike attack on Tavares, his third foul, for taking his left elbow out of control while protecting a rebound against Sleva. Madrid could not close the door under their ring, where Kurucs emerged, nor outside, Ennis’ territory (51-42). In a period of great hustle and bustle and short attacks, the whites resisted thanks to the individual brilliance of Musa and Hezonja to cook their dishes. That offensive repertoire began to boost Chus Mateo’s team and Campazzo took advantage of the inertia to manage the pace of the match. UCAM ran out of gas, exhausted by the very high pace it had injected into the match. A 0-13 changed the film (53-58). Madrid was already another, physically superior and with a much greater range of alternatives. A 16-34 made it 56-66 before the last episode.
The UCAM would fall on its feet. Radebaugh and Sant-Roos restored hope to the Murcian pavilion. Sito Alonso’s men had no other way but to raise the fever and Diagné and Morin paid for that increase in decibels with the fifth foul. Madrid threatened with Musa and Hezonja, and Campazzo directed the operations. The whites were already imposing their law in both rings while the seconds fell. Against a Murcia team that never gave up, Madrid was crowned and Rudy raised a new League escorted by Llull and Sergio Rodríguez.
UCAM MURCIA, 73; REAL MADRID, 84
UCAM Murcia: Caupain (2), Ennis (18), R. Kurucs (8), Sleva (12), Diagné (2) -starting team-; Hakanson (2), Sant-Roos (10), Radebaugh (10), Morin (4), Radovic (5).
Real Madrid: Campazzo (13), Causeur (4), Musa (18), Hezonja (17), Tavares (2) -initial team-; Sergio Rodríguez (2), Abalde (8), Poirier (7), Yabusele (4), Llull (9), Rudy (0).
Partials: 19-17, 21-15, 16-34 and 17-18.
Referees: Pizarro, Perea and Olivares. They eliminated Diagné and Morin.
Murcia Sports Palace: about 7,500 spectators.
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