Real Madrid pulled off another stunning feat that cements their status as one of the greatest teams of all time.
The Whites, nearly beaten but never giving up, delivered a historic comeback with the unmistakable stamp of Super Mario Hezonja. While Jean Montero was putting on a show and seemed unstoppable, the Croatian was struggling with his shots, appearing to drag his team toward elimination. Down by 11, Tavares’s presence and offensive rebounds kept Madrid alive—despite missing a staggering 13 free throws! With a 10-point deficit and less than four minutes left, Hezonja loaded his cannon. First triple. Then three more in the final 75 seconds. In the end, Valencia fell (106-108).
“When the ball left his hands, I knew it was going in,” Usman Garuba told ACB microphones. “Did I need that basket? No, because I had a rating of 3 against Malaga and we won. In Spain and Europe, you guys focus so much on player ratings, but winning is what matters. I’m taking big steps forward thanks to Sergio (Scariolo). He tells me there’s more to do than just score. If you put a challenge in front of me, I come back tomorrow with two more things. I want to keep moving forward. I don’t have to make the last shot to feel happy. We have to win the titles that Madrid deserves,” said Hezonja, the miracle worker.
But there were many reactions to the Croatian’s heroics, as his teammates praised him. “The game was lost. We kept fighting until the end to get a chance, and he stepped up,” said Alberto Abalde, a former Valencia Basket player. “I’m very emotional and happy that Mario was able to hit that triple to give us the win,” added Andrés Feliz. David Kramer joined the celebration: “The whole team believed in that shot. It was a great play.” There was no lucky bounce or strange action—just good defense, a smart offensive decision, and execution on that decision. There’s always an element of luck, which we’ve missed in other games, especially in the EuroLeague. You have to respect the quality and creation ability of Valencia’s perimeter players. They’re a fantastic team,” concluded Sergio Scariolo.
The image of the loss: Madrid won in the knockout tournament, seizing the game as unexpectedly as deserved, clenching their fists and cashing in on a magnificent Hezonja. The King of Cups, a Madrid chasing its 30th title to widen the gap with Barcelona (27), will face Baskonia (who eliminated the Catalans), a giant of the competition trying to return to glory. Madrid returns to the final 17 years after their last appearance, in 2009, when they beat Unicaja in the Palacio de Deportes in Madrid. Nothing in the Cup since then. A titanic duel where anything can happen, for better or worse. Will we see another miracle?