Baskonia secured its second victory in the Liga Endesa, defeating Bilbao 92-72 in the third round, played on their home court.
The guests got off to a better start, with Bilbao taking a 12-7 lead. However, by the end of the first quarter, the home team found their rhythm. They couldn’t complete the turnaround entirely, trailing 20-18 after ten minutes of play.
Bilbao took a 23-18 lead at the beginning of the second quarter, but Baskonia then went on a run. The home team improved their defense, and with a 22-8 run, they went into halftime with a nine-point lead.
In the remainder of the game, Baskonia continued to play even better. They maintained excellent defense, and their lead kept growing. By the end of the third quarter, the home team had a 20-point advantage.
In the last ten minutes, there was no doubt about the outcome, and the home team comfortably finished the job.
Markus Howard led his team to victory with 16 points, while Vanja Marinkovic finished the game with 11 points. On the other side, Tryggvi Hlinason was the top scorer for Bilbao with 13 points.
Baskonia’s next challenge will be in the EuroLeague, where they will face the reigning champions, Real Madrid. After that, they will travel to Granada for an Endesa League match. Bilbao, in the next round of their domestic league, will host Obradoiro.