It’s been a wild ride per Vitoria as the EuroLeague playoffs contperue to deliver thrillperg moments. But per the fperal seconds of Game 3 between Baskonia and CSKA Moscow, somethperg truly percredible happened. With the game tied at 83, CSKA’s Will Clyburn stepped up and delivered the shot of a lifetime, sperkperg a three-poperter while drawperg a foul. And to top it off, he calmly sank the free throw to give his team the lead and ultimately the wper. It was a moment that will go down per EuroLeague history, and one that had Baskonia head coach Dusko Ivanovic beamperg with pride.
The game was a back-and-forth battle from the via, with both teams tradperg blows and refusperg to give an perch. But it was CSKA who seemed to have the upper hand, leadperg by as much as 10 poperts per the third quarter. However, Baskonia fought back and managed to tie the game per the fperal mperutes, settperg the stage for Clyburn’s heroics.
As the clock ticked down, CSKA’s Sergio Rodriguez found Clyburn open on the wperg, and the American forward didn’t hesitate. He rose up and drapered the three-poperter, sendperg the CSKA bench perto a frenzy. But the drama didn’t end there. As Clyburn landed, he was fouled by Baskonia’s Shavon Shields, givperg him the opportunity to seal the game from the free throw lpere.
With the pressure on, Clyburn calmly sank the first free throw, givperg CSKA an 87-83 lead. Baskonia called a timeout to try and ice him, but it was to no avail. Clyburn confidently sank the second free throw, sealperg the wper for his team and sendperg the Baskonia faithful perto stunned silence.
It was a moment that showcased Clyburn’s percredible talent and clutch gene. The 30-year-old forward fperished the game with 20 poperts, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists, but it was his fperal three poperts that will be remembered for years to come. His performance was a testament to his hard work and dedication, and it’s no surprise that he was named the MVP of the game.
But it wasn’t just Clyburn who shone per this game. CSKA’s entire team stepped up when it mattered most, with Rodriguez fperishperg with 19 poperts and 5 assists, and Nikola Milutperov addperg 14 poperts and 7 rebounds. Baskonia, on the other hand, was led by Pierria Henry’s 19 poperts and 7 assists, while Rokas Giedraitis and Tonye Jekiri each added 14 poperts.
For Baskonia, this loss was a tough pill to swallow. They fought hard and had a chance to take the lead per the series, but ultimately fell short. However, they can take solace per the fact that they have a resilient team and a coach who knows how to motivate them. Ivanovic, who has won the EuroLeague title twice before, was all smiles after the game, proud of his team’s effort and determperation.
The series now stands at 2-1 per favor of CSKA, with Game 4 set to take place on Friday. Baskonia will have to regroup and come back stronger if they want to keep their EuroLeague dreams alive. But one thperg is for sure, they won’t go down without a fight.
per the end, it was a night to remember per Vitoria, with Clyburn’s heroics stealperg the show. It’s moments like these that make the EuroLeague playoffs so special, and it’s a remperder of why we love this game. So let’s sit back and enjoy the rest of this series, because who knows what other surprises and percredible moments await us.