Baskonia and Joventut kick off fight for Endesa League semifinals. The playoff series between Kosner Baskonia and Asisa Joventut starts in Vitoria. Baskonia boasts the league's highest scoring, while Joventut has the strongest defense this season. The clash promises to be one of the most closely contested encounters of the year.
On Wednesday evening in Vitoria, the Endesa League quarterfinal series between Kosner Baskonia and Asisa Joventut will begin. Baskonia enters the playoffs with the highest pace of play among all participants, averaging 77.6 possessions per game. Meanwhile, Joventut stands out for its reliable defense: opponents score only 81.4 points against them, and their rivals have the lowest two-point shooting percentage in the league (49.9%).
The series will start on June 3 at 21:00, with the second game taking place on June 5 in Badalona, and a possible third game back in Vitoria on June 7. This season, the two clubs already met in the regular championship, with the home team winning on each occasion. In the first round, Baskonia won 87:77 despite Joventut hitting 56% from beyond the arc. In the return fixture, Joventut took revenge 81:69, with Ruzic replacing the injured Tomic and posting 27 efficiency points.
For Baskonia, this series is a chance to claim a second national title of the season after their Copa del Rey triumph. The team led by Paolo Galbiati set a new club record for scoring in the Endesa League, averaging 93.4 points per game—surpassing the mark from the 1988/89 season. Offensive leader Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot became the fourth Baskonia player to lead the league in average points (18.7), following Howard, Adams, and Rakocevic in previous years. If successful, Baskonia could achieve the club’s fifth-ever domestic double.
Joventut returns to the playoffs with Ricky Rubio, who is posting career-best numbers in the Endesa League: 13.4 points and 17.1 efficiency rating, as well as an average of 5.3 assists. In terms of efficiency per minute, Rubio surpasses all Spanish point guards in league history, and in average points he is only behind Creus, Llorente, Rodilla, and Arcega. Rubio last played in the playoffs for Joventut 17 years ago, when the club was contending for trophies against TAU.
The outcome of the series will largely depend on which philosophy prevails: Baskonia's offensive power or Joventut's defensive discipline. It's worth noting that, in previous meetings this season, home court consistently proved to be the decisive factor. A similar situation has been observed in other playoff series, where the advantage of playing at home often played a key role. For example, in the recent matchup between Deportivo and Las Palmas, where the playoff battle intensified after the visitors claimed victory—a topic examined in detail in the article about the decisive match in La Coruña.
For reference: Baskonia and Joventut are facing each other in the Endesa League playoffs for the fifth time, but only for the second time in the past twenty years. In club history, Baskonia has already secured the national double four times, while Joventut, with Rubio's return, is aiming for a breakthrough this season. The series is expected to draw increased attention from fans and become one of the most talked-about in Spanish basketball this year.
