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Unicaja after their first Supercup

Unicaja crushed Real impressively in the first half-time, but will now face a more complete team that can match them in rebounds

Unicaja took their first step towards the only Spanish trophy missing from their collection. It was everything but a regular win because they faced the European champion, the Spanish champion, the Spanish cup and Supercup winner, and the winner of the Intercontinental Cup. The great Real Madrid didn't look like they won any of that yesterday, and that's all thanks to Unicaja. As their coach would say, Coyote finally caught the Road Runner: 

- We played terrific 40 minutes, were completely focused, controlled the defense and the rebounds and deserved to beat the best team in Europe. Now we have to confirm that wasn't an accident and we have to make Unicaja join the list of Supercup winners.

Not only did Unicaja get to the final, they didn't even get tired by doing so. Plaza rotated all 12 players, and nobody played over 21 minutes. Everyone managed to score something. Their width is impressive, and Real just couldn't deal with it. Like last year, Unicaja showed that their main forte will be the defense and the offensive rebounds - they had 16 of those, which isn't exactly something that's easy to do against Real.

They'll have to do the same today because Barcelona are better than they are, which means they'll have to deal with them with strength. However, Barcelona look much more impressive in the paint, and Unicaja's center will be kept busy:

- We have to dominate the rebounds because that's our game style. The offensive rebounds bring a lot to our game and I hope we'll be up to it again, as well as in the defense - Dani Diez said. He joined the team this season, and scored three three-pointers in the limited time he played yesterday, helping to decide the winner.

Every player will be important against Barcelona because from what was shown so far, Barcelona are much better than Real right now. Unicaja will have a much tougher job to do now than in the semifinal. What's sure is that both coaches will insist on strong defense, and there'll be less running than against Real.

Barcelona crushed Gran Canaria with their defense in the semifinal. It was expected, but nobody actually expected Barcelona to crush their opponent by 28 points. When you see that a player like Erikssen scored 16 points in 13 minutes, it's obvious in what great mood the entire team were, and when that's the case, not many teams out there can match Barca.

- I'm satisfied with our game in general. We had a great ratio of assists and turnovers, the ball flow was good and it allowed us to play an efficient match - the coach Pascual said after the match.

There almost was no bad players in Barcelona, and Pascual aimed the spotlight on the best one:

- I'm pleasantly surprised at how well Arroyo fit with the team, he'll be a great reinforcement.

Arroyo's got plenty of experience, and he still seems to be eager to play his best. He'll definitely be an amazing asset to the team, he can create the game for himself and his team players, which is better than Huertas who was basically an assistant last season. Pau Ribas is a great addition to the team, as well, especially because Navarro isn't ready yet. Ribas glanced at who the opponents could be in the final, and said:

- I have no wishes for the final, we'll play our game and I hope we'll get our first trophy this season.

After Real collected all the trophies last season right under Barcelona's nose, Barcelona are now getting nervous. This title would mean a lot to them mentally. Luckily, with Real being eliminated, the pressure is reduced. The question now is, how easier will it be for Barcelona to face a home team in the final.

Like Unicaja, Barcelona didn't spend much energy in the semifinal. Justin Doellman spent the most time on the court, 24 minutes, which means he's got more than enough strength left for the final. Unlike Real whose bench was thin, Barcelona have 12 equally good players, so they can definitely deal with the rhythm Plaza and his team will set up.

The game from yesterday seemed to have a massive influence on today's margins. Both Unicaja and Barca played efficient games and even had 3-point shooting at around 50%. That doesn't happen often and I don't believe we'll see such great productivity today. Both coaches prefer long attacks and well-organized game and we have to take that into consideration. The stakes are high because Unicaja want to win the first Supercup ever before their fans. Barcelona have not won a trophy in a while now, meaning the pressure is getting high. The last three h2h games in Malaga finished under this margin while the ones in Barcelona finished in overs, which cannot be a coincidence. Barca would always crush Unicaja home but things were different here. The teams have not changed much since last season - they are even better on the defensive ends now and I'm sure this will stay under 150 points.