Arena Lions defeated in Dragon (66-59)

Sporting Clube de Portugal’s basketball main team visited FC Porto this Tuesday and fell by 66-59 in the match of the 13th round of the regular phase of the League.

In a duel of title candidates marked by some controversial decisions, as the defenses of the two teams outweighed the updates and the Classic was only resolved in the last period, where FC Porto asserted its slight advantage on the scoreboard. Travante Williams was the best on the green and white side, totaling 17 points, five rebounds and six assists.

With Travante, Diogo Ventura, João Fernandes, Joshua Patton and Micah Downs in the opening five, the first minutes were guided by the expected balance, but with a green and white ascendant (10-15). Already with the strongest dragons on the ledges (11-7 in this chapter) and some in some twists Consecutive Leoninos, there was a turnaround in the marker (19-18), closing the first ten minutes with 22-21.

In the second period, with Miguel Maria Cardoso, Tanner Omlid and António Monteiro on the field, shirt 11 quickly re-established the tie (22-22), but the two teams took a long time to sharpen their aim – more than three and a half minutes and just one marked point.

In the last five minutes of the fourth, the Classic went back up in quality and Monteiro made it 28-28 from the three-point line. Even so, FC Porto would once again take the lead in the result and a new triple from Monteiro made it 39-37 at half-time. With 15 points, two rebounds and three assists, Travante was the best of the Lions in the first half.

Despite Sporting CP’s opportunities, the blues and whites are starting over (45-39). Even so, to the ride of Daniel Relvão, João Fernandes and Omlid, Alvalade’s group reacted and turned the result (45-48). Until the end of the third quarter – the least productive offensively for both teams (13-13) – the two emblems took turns in the lead, but it was the dragons who came out ahead again by 52-50. All open for the last ten minutes.

Once again, as defenses came back to superior themselves to the means and the short margin in the marker was maintained. Increasingly in evidence in the game of the tables (16 points and six rebounds), Patton made the 55-55, which, however, would be quickly contested by FC Porto, extending the advantage (60-55). The difference in hitting the outside shots (35% -17% at the end of the match) was weighing on the result.

After a phase with many stops and the expulsion of Ventura, Travante still brought the Lions back together (63-59), but the dragons were extending their ball possessions and managed the match all the way to the horn. With this outcome, Sporting CP maintains 21 points in the League.

Sporting CP: Travante Williams (17), Miguel Maria Cardoso, Mike Fofana, Diogo Ventura [C] (4), António Monteiro (6), Tanner Omlid (5), João Fernandes (4), Daniel Relvão (2), Diogo Araújo, Joshua Patton (16), Micah Downs (5) and Daniel Machado.