Hiopos Lleida, the next rival for Baxi Manresa in the league next Sunday at noon, will host the team from Bages with only a one-win margin. This situation follows a heavy defeat on the court of the second-placed team, Valencia Basket, with a final score of 101-65.
The team led by Gerard Encuentra only maintained parity during the first quarter. Pedro Martínez's squad quickly pulled away, reaching a maximum difference of 36 points by the end of the match. Puerto, with 19 points, was the game's top scorer.
The most painful defeat of the day was suffered by Barça on the UCAM Murcia court (84-83), who saw the home team overcome a sixteen-point lead in the second period.
In other notable results, Real Madrid had little trouble defeating Zaragoza (99-78), although they had to wait until the third quarter to consolidate their lead. Conversely, Barça suffered a bitter defeat on the UCAM Murcia court (84-83), losing a sixteen-point advantage and missing crucial free throws at the end.
Finally, La Laguna Tenerife secured an important victory against Baskonia by 89-85, in a duel they dominated thanks, in part, to the 23 points scored by the experienced Marcelinho Huertas.
