Marble was the soul of the dragon in the lion kingdom
In the third game, the first of two match points . After a very balanced first game, in which Sporting even came close to beating FC Porto for the first time this season, the Dragons came out on top and closed the first two games of the semi-finals, played at home, with two important victories ( 91-81 and 83-64 ). Thus, with three hypothetical games ahead, Fernando Sá's team needs "only" one victory to return to the final and face three-time champions Benfica, who "ran over" Ovarense in the other semi-final (3-0). Conversely, Luís Magalhães' team had to win both games at home to continue dreaming of the final. However, the previous six classics this season fell to Porto's side.
“We have to be aware that the tie is very difficult. We are losing 2-0 in games, FC Porto has an excellent team, with a budget three times bigger than ours, and they already have their routines. We will do what we have to do, which is to train and prepare for the third game in the best way we can and know how, but the situation is complicated. Game 2? It was a very bad game on our part. We never managed to get into the game and our attack was poor, with poor three-point and free throw percentages. We were hasty and had little patience to look for better shots and, when that happens, against a team like FC Porto, you end up losing. They managed to create a good lead early on and managed to hold it until the end”, said Magalhães.
“We realise that we are in an extremely important playoff moment, with teams with the same objectives as us and, if we don’t approach the duels with intensity and responsibility from the first minute, things could get complicated. We have a good feeling in several aspects. Because of the way all the players approached the minutes they had, many of them in favour of some who play less minutes and others who need to rest, and it was the players’ own initiative to do so. These are things that we have been building throughout the season and it makes me happy, but we have to keep our feet firmly on the ground. On Friday we had four games to win two and now we have three to win one and reach our objective, which is to fight for the title in the final”, Sá told FC Porto’s website .
With Jeremiah Bailey, Diogo Ventura, Anthony Barber, Uwais Razaque and Nick Ward on one side and Max Landis, Wesley Washpun, Xeyrius Williams, Toney Douglas and Phill Fayne on the other, in the starting five, Porto got off to a flying start and took the lead after just 23 seconds, thanks to a three-pointer from Douglas. The Dragons continued to be effective in outside shooting and were ahead at the end of the first quarter, despite a tenuous Sporting reaction (15-19). In the second half, the score was extended to ten points (15-25), but the Lions recovered in the final half and closed the score with a three-pointer from Uwais Razaque, which set the score at half-time at 36-40.
⏱️Interval
????Sporting CP 36-40 FC Porto
????Sporting TV #FCPortoBasket #FCPortoSports
— FC Porto (@FCPorto) May 30, 2025
In the second half, Bailey put the ball in the basket in the first few seconds and, in the following two attacks, Sporting completed the comeback with points from Cat Barber and Bailey (42-40). FC Porto still managed to get back in front, but the American winger was having a great night and responded immediately. With 2:30 minutes to go, Washpun reduced the deficit to just one point (50-49), but a three-pointer from Ventura put the Lions four points ahead again. In the last minute, the green and whites took full advantage and entered the last quarter comfortably ahead (63-53). The last ten minutes started at full speed, with the attacks coming into their own, Sporting had a 13-point lead (66-53), but the Dragons responded and reduced the gap to four points, forcing Luís Magalhães to stop the game (70-66).
After a period of missed shots from both sides, Devyn Marble brought the score back to just one point (71-70) and, after the Lions failed to attack, the Porto point guard completed the comeback (71-72). From then on, there were several changes in the lead, until Fayne scored and Barber missed a three-pointer in the last minute (74-76). On the other basket, Landis missed the three-pointer and, at the free throw line, Ward missed both shots. With 21.6 seconds left, Fernando Sá requested two consecutive technical timeouts and Marble added two more free throws at the restart (74-78). On the last play, neither Bailey nor Barber converted the three-pointer and FC Porto left Lisbon with their third victory and qualification for the final (74-78). Bailey and Marble were the best on the court, with 22 points.
We are in the League FINAL ????????
Victory in Lisbon and 3-0 in the semi-final ???? #FCPortoBasket #FCPortoSports pic.twitter.com/polyQnA8Qt
— FC Porto (@FCPorto) May 30, 2025
Thus, for the second consecutive season, Benfica and FC Porto will meet again in the final of the National Basketball Championship. The first two rounds will be held at Pavilhão da Luz and are scheduled for June 8 and 10. The third match will take place on the 13th, at Dragão Arena, a venue that will also host the fourth game, if necessary, on the 15th. Three days later, the black and white will be played, again at Luz, in the event of a draw.
[Police are called to a house after a noise complaint. When they arrive, officers find a wild birthday party. But the birthday boy, José Valbom, has disappeared. “ O Zé faz 25 ” is Observador’s first fiction podcast, co-produced by Coyote Vadio and featuring the voices of Tiago Teotónio Pereira, Sara Matos, Madalena Almeida, Cristovão Campos, Vicente Wallenstein, Beatriz Godinho, José Raposo and Carla Maciel. You can listen to the 2nd episode on Observador’s website , on Apple Podcasts , on Spotify and on Youtube Music . And the first episode here .]
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