Real set up Vilnius final
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ByEurosport
Published 20/03/2007 at 18:50 GMT
Real Madrid easily overturned a seven point first-leg deficit against Unics Kazan to set a ULEB Cup final date with 2005 champions Lietuvos Rytas, who held onto their 11 point first-leg edge over BC FMP Zeleznik.
BASKETBALL UNICS Jarrod Stevenson Real Madrid Luis Bullock с сайта www.unics.ru
Image credit: From Official Website
Real Madrid overwhelmed the visitors 84-63 thanks to dominating performances from guard and forward Felipe Reyes to beat Unics by 14 points on aggregate.
Bullock and Reyes combined for 50 points as the American dumped in a game-leading 27 and the Spaniard adding a double-double with a game-high 16 rebounds on top of his 23 points.
After struggling to a 44-40 first-half lead, Blagota Sekulic led Real on an 8-0 third quarter run followed shortly by a 9-0 spurt spurred on by a three-pointer and three free throws from Bullock.
Sekulic finished the night with 12 points, while Belgian Axel Hervelle, who will be playing in the final in a home-arena in Charleroi, added 11 for the victors.
Darjus Lavrinovic led the visitors, who struggled offensively throughout the second half, with 13 points.
The eight-time Euroleague champions Real have reached one previous ULEB Cup final, losing to Hapoel Jerusalem in 2004.
Their challengers in this year's April 10 finale, Vilnius, confirmed their 78-67 first-leg victory over BC FMP with another excellent display of team defence to hold the hosts to a three-point 72-69 win in Serbia.
Matthew Nielsen led the visitors with 19 points as Vilnius remained close throughout before ultimately shutting down Zeleznik's last-gasp challenge in the fourth quarter.
Former first-round NBA draft pick Kareem Rush added 15 for the Lithuanian and Baltic League champions, who are currently joint leaders with Zalgiris Kaunas in their domestic league.
"I don't think this is our limit. We are going to check our limits in Charleroi," Rush said after the win.
Four Zeleznik players finished in double-figures, led by Aleksandar Rasic and Zoran Erceg on 15 points, but the visitors stole the ball 14 times from the struggling BC FMP attack.
Vilnius coach Alexander Trifunovic credited the greater amount of veteran talent on his squad for the victory, but said that Zeleznik could definitely be a contender in Europe in the years to come.
"We are more experienced than FMP and that was the key for our win," he said. "The reality depends on us and the future depends on FMP, which is a deeply talented team."
Watch LIVE video coverage of the ULEB Cup final from Charleroi, Belgium on April 10 on Eurosport 2 and www.eurosport.com.
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