On a matchday when the bottom two teams, Andorra and Granada, both secured victories, the pressure mounted on those just above them, forcing a reaction. Lleida responded emphatically. They took a massive step toward securing their ACB status while pushing Bilbao Basket further away from playoff contention.
The Basque side has grown accustomed to ninth place, a position they’ve held for 16 consecutive matchdays. As is often said in other sports, they are the first among the losers. Their strong campaign had given them a genuine shot at challenging Unicaja and Tenerife for the seventh and eighth spots. However, a disastrous final quarter against Joventut—scoring just 14 points—dashed those hopes, leaving them stuck in no-man’s land. Batemon, Krutwig, and Paulí were immense for Lleida.
Lleida boasts one of the most intimidating home courts in the league. The Barris Nord arena, fueled by its passionate fans, has been the foundation of their survival hopes. They came out firing, with Encuentra’s men pressing hard in defense and pushing the tempo in transition. Within the first minute, they led 5-0. Hilliard struggled early, picking up two quick fouls. That relentless energy lifted the Catalans to a 7-0 run, capped by a sharp pump fake and triple from Adrián Rodríguez to make it 12-4.
Hlinason anchored the visitor’s structure with his work on the boards, while Krampelj provided solid minutes off the bench for Bilbao. Meanwhile, Lleida chugged along with a gritty but effective two-man game, led by Krutwig. Bagayoko and Jaworski tried to inject fresh energy during Ponsarnau’s typical mass rotation, but a 2-12 run gave Bilbao their first lead at 14-16. The game then swung like a pendulum, with both teams trading blows. A wild three-point shootout ensued: Lleida hit 5 of 8 in the first quarter alone, well above their season average of 7.9 per 40 minutes. They were launching from deep more often than inside. Surne Bilbao, a resilient side, answered at the buzzer in each of the first two quarters—first Font on a layup, then Krampelj after a defensive lapse by the hosts just before halftime.
Lleida stuck to their game plan in the second period, with Paulí contributing everywhere, especially on backdoor cuts fed by Krutwig from the high post. Defensively, they were far more intense, getting active hands to disrupt Bilbao’s flow, and they pushed the pace to find easy looks in transition. Bilbao’s free-throw shooting continued to let them down—an ongoing issue. When you leave that many points at the line, it’s tough to stay in the game.
Lleida hit their peak lead after Batemon, from the floor, found Sanz for a layup to make it 51-40. Bagayoko seemed mentally out of the game, and Normantas, Frey, and other key pieces were off their rhythm. Hlinason and Pantzar were left isolated. The halftime break helped Bilbao regroup. They upped their offensive intensity, forcing Lleida to slow down and run half-court sets.
The contest tightened to 68-67 after two Pantzar free throws in the third quarter. Frey and the Swedish guard missed desperation threes before the period ended, but Bilbao couldn’t take the lead. Hlinason finally put them ahead after a 3-point play early in the fourth, but Lleida responded and never trailed again, sealing a crucial victory that brings them within touching distance of safety.
