Baskonia Defeats Virtus 89-77 to Advance to Euroleague Quarterfinals Against Real Madrid

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz secured a spot in the Euroleague quarterfinals with an 89-77 victory over Virtus Segafredo Bologna in the decisive play-in game on Wednesday. Baskonia will now face defending champions Real Madrid in a best-of-five series.

Markus Howard led the way for Baskonia, scoring a game-high 28 points including 8 three-pointers. "Marcus Howard was scoring 28 points and earning the 'MVP' chant," according to reports. Matt Costello added 19 points and Tadas Sedekerskis contributed 16 points and 7 rebounds in place of the injured Chima Moneke.

Baskonia took control of the game with a 12-0 run in the third quarter. "The game was decided in the second half, with Howard leading Baskonia to victory," sources stated. Virtus was paced by Toko Shengelia with 16 points and Daniel Hackett with 13, but struggled from beyond the arc, shooting just 30.8% on three-pointers.

Why this matters: The win marks Baskonia's first appearance in the Euroleague playoffs since the 2018-19 season. They will face a formidable opponent in Real Madrid, but enter the series with confidence having defeated the defending champs earlier in the regular season.

Marco Belinelli scored Virtus' first 10 points but was held scoreless the rest of the way. "Virtus players like Belinelli, Shengelia, and Dunston struggled, while Abass played well on both ends of the court," according to reports. The loss ends Virtus' Euroleague campaign as they shift focus to their domestic league, the LBA.

Key Takeaways

• Baskonia defeated Virtus 89-77 in Euroleague play-in game, securing quarterfinals spot.
• Markus Howard scored 28 points, including 8 three-pointers, leading Baskonia to victory.
• Baskonia took control in the 3rd quarter with a 12-0 run, outperforming Virtus.
• Baskonia will face defending champions Real Madrid in the Euroleague quarterfinals.
• Virtus' Euroleague campaign ends, as they shift focus to their domestic league.