Unicaja vs Murcia: Analysis and Prediction – Unicaja will play at home court in the Liga Endesa playoffs against Murcia.
Unicaja vs Murcia Odds
Unicaja Team News
Unicaja’s loss in the Game 1 of the Liga Endesa semifinals ended their impressive home winning streak of eight consecutive victories. Murcia won 88:79, taking the advantage. It was only Unicaja’s third home defeat this season on home court in Liga Endesa.
Unicaja had a dream season up until this point. They won the FIBA Champions League, secured first place in the regular season, and comfortably advanced through the quarterfinals. However, Murcia proved to be a tough opponent. Despite Kendrick Perry’s return, it didn’t help the home team. For the first time this season, the team did not stay composed when trailing. They took too many three-point shots (36 attempts) and rushed their offensive plays, which was uncharacteristic for them this season. While the team had balanced playing time, there was no standout player to turn the game around. Unicaja is capable of strong defense and quality rebounding control, but they did not show this in the Game 1. Nonetheless, Tayson Carter and Tyler Kalinoski are expected to perform much better in the upcoming games. Additionally, David Kravish and Dylan Osetkowski failed to capitalize on their interior positions. Osetkowski’s performance has declined, and he seems to be playing worse after being selected to the season’s best five.
In the next game, Unicaja will need to significantly improve their defense. This particularly applies to defending the three-point shot, where Murcia shot 50 percent. They poorly defended the main players of the rival and had significant problems in the paint. They need to take advantage of the opponent’s reduced rotation and the fact that Murcia’s key players played over 30 minutes in the game 1.
Murcia Team News
Murcia is having a stellar season, having eliminated Valencia in the quarterfinals and securing their first win in the semifinal series against Unicaja. This victory marked Unicaja’s first loss in head-to-head matchups across all competitions this season. Murcia has won nine out of 20 away games.
Murcia is already experiencing a historic season. They secured third place in the FIBA Champions League and have advanced to the Liga Endesa semifinals for the first time. The team has shown great quality and fighting spirit from the start of the season. Dylan Ennis is having a fantastic season, being the team’s primary offensive option with his drives and scoring, averaging 14 points per game. The biggest surprise has been Dustin Sleva, who shone in the FIBA Champions League and continued his strong performances in the Liga Endesa. In the Game 1 of the semifinals, he was excellent with 23 points and only two missed shots from the field. Jonah Radebaugh has also found his place in the team and is delivering solid performances. The team’s main issue is injuries, especially in the interior positions, which will be crucial throughout the series due to the reduced rotation. Rodions Kurucs has consistently contributed defensively and is now also providing offensive support, which is very important.
Murcia can take advantage of the pressure on Unicaja in this series. This lack of pressure was particularly evident in their excellent three-point shooting. They need to replicate their aggressive defense in the Game 2 and prevent Unicaja from establishing their game. As in the Game 1, good rebounding will be essential.
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Unicaja vs Murcia H2H
This season, the teams have played five matches, and Unicaja had four consecutive wins until the first duel in the semifinals. Murcia won the first game of the series 88:79 and took the lead 1-0.
Absences and Injuries
Kameron Taylor sustained an injury in the Game 1 and is questionable for the rest of the series. Kendrick Perry has returned to the Unicaja team. Simon Birgander, Marko Todorovic and Arturs Kurucs will not play for Murcia, while David Jelinek is in the team but is unlikely to have significant playing time.
Unicaja vs Murcia Prediction
Unicaja is now under additional pressure. The team can certainly play much better than in the first semifinal. We should not forget that Murcia is significantly weakened in these duels, and in the Game 1, the key players played over 30 minutes. This will surely have an impact and be felt in the continuation of the series. Unicaja is a team that, on the other hand, has depth in its roster and can withstand the high tempo they will use to try to break the opponent.
Tip-off Time: Thursday, 30.05.2024,20:30 CET
Prediction: Unicaja -7.5
Odds: 1.72
Sportsbook: 22Bet
*Odds are active at the time the article is published
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