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Diario Euskadi

Surne Bilbao Faces Demanding Final Sprint for Eighth Place in Liga Endesa

Surne Bilbao faces a significant challenge to secure eighth place in the Liga Endesa, following recent defeats and a tough schedule.

A basketball resting on a polished wooden court, with a blurred basketball hoop in the background.
IA

A basketball resting on a polished wooden court, with a blurred basketball hoop in the background.

Surne Bilbao is gearing up for a demanding final sprint in the Liga Endesa, aiming for eighth place after recent losses and a challenging schedule at the season's close.

As a result of recent defeats, including at home against Baxi Manresa (80-84) and away at Hiopos Lleida (90-81) last Sunday, Surne Bilbao has missed the opportunity to claim the coveted eighth position in the Liga Endesa. Despite holding ninth place since early January, the team's strong performance over the past four months has not been enough to secure a spot in the top tier.
With four games remaining in the regular season, the Bizkaia team is tied with Unicaja for 16 wins, who currently holds eighth place. Unicaja's recent form has been poor, with six losses in their last seven games. Although they have one less game played than Surne Bilbao, it will be challenging for them to secure a win in their postponed match against Asisa Joventut, which was suspended due to an electrical failure. When it resumes on May 26, Unicaja will start with a 20-point deficit (53-33) at halftime. However, their head-to-head average favors them, which could be a decisive factor unless other teams join a potential final tie.
The squad, led by Jaume Ponsarnau, has earned the right to fight until the very end for a goal that, before the season began, was only a distant hope for the most optimistic fans. Nevertheless, the final sprint required to achieve this presents a significant competitive challenge for a team whose primary sporting objectives, comfortable permanence and retaining the FIBA Europe Cup title, have been secured for some time.
This week is critical for Surne Bilbao. On Thursday (7:00 PM), they will host Real Madrid, and on Sunday (5:00 PM), they will visit Valencia Basket. Real Madrid, already qualified for the Euroleague Final Four, is the clear leader of the Liga Endesa. They were surprisingly defeated at home by Río Breogán (97-101) last round, so they are expected to be on high alert at the Bilbao Arena. Meanwhile, Valencia Basket's main focus this week will be on the continental stage, as they play their fifth and decisive game against Panathinaikos on Wednesday for a chance to reach their first Final Four. In their first-round match in Miribilla, they demonstrated their destructive basketball prowess with a 72-116 victory.
Following this double-game week, Ponsarnau's team will host Bàsquet Girona, their closest pursuer in the standings (13 wins and 17 losses), on Sunday, May 24. They will conclude the regular season on May 29 (time to be determined) with an away game against another top-tier team, La Laguna Tenerife, who has only one more win than Surne Bilbao but with one less game played.

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