The score-first guard haunted the Italian side for the second time in the space of a week
Markus Howard caught lightning in a bottle against Virtus – and not for the first time
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Virtus Segafredo Bologna probably can’t stand the sight of Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz superstar Markus Howard.
One week after dropping 34 points on the Italian team in a 91-95 road win to lock up the eighth seed, thus condemning Virtus to 10th spot, the American guard propelled his squad to an 89-77 victory in the Play-In Showdown by notching 28 points to set up a series with first-placed Real Madrid in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs.
By his standards, Howard started Friday night’s win-or-go-home clash in relatively quiet fashion, scoring 5 points in the first quarter and another 6 in the second, giving him 11 points after shooting 0 for 3 from two-point range, 3 for 9 from deep and 2 for 2 from the free-throw line. At halftime, it was a tied ballgame, with Baskonia and Virtus level at 41-41.
A memorable third quarter
The break seemed to do Howard wonders, though, as he reloaded his clip and kept firing away in the third quarter. Despite going 3 for 12 from the field through the first 20 minutes, Howard hit back-to-back threes to put Baskonia 49-43 ahead early in the period, before replicating the same feat later in the quarter. When his third and fourth triples of the third quarter dropped, Baskonia took a 60-47 and then 63-47 lead as it took control of the contest.
It wasn’t just the fact that Howard’s shots were dropping; his makes were demoralizing the Virtus players. He was typically being guarded by either Daniel Hackett, Isaia Cordinier or Awudu Abass, yet he ended up giving them the runaround, constantly repositioning himself on the floor and getting up three-point shots without hesitation. Entering the fourth quarter, Howard had moved to 25 points – going 1 for 7 on twos, 7 for 15 on threes and 2 for 2 on the line – and Baskonia held a 72-57 advantage.
From there on out, Baskonia simply had to see the win over the line, with Howard having ripped the heart out of Virtus. The closest the visitors ever got in the fourth was reducing the gap to 10 points (87-77 with 1:30 remaining), but it was too late as the hosts came away with an 89-77 triumph.
The 10,143-strong crowd inside Buesa Arena certainly played their part, too, as they went wild after every big make from a Baskonia player. However, the decibel levels probably reached their peak after Howard made it 63-47 with a bomb from downtown. Speaking afterward, the 25-year-old was appreciative of the support he and his teammates received from the Baskonia supporters.
“We’re just so happy for our fans, they deserve it,” said Howard. “They’ve been with us the entire season, so for us to continue playing at such a high level against high-level competition, we’re happy for our fans, we’re happy for ourselves, but we’ve still got a lot to look forward to. We’re playing the No 1 team in [Real] Madrid, so we’re fortunate, but we’re not satisfied.”
A historic night
Come the final buzzer, Howard had tied his career-best mark with 8 made triples, one off the all-time playoff record set by ex-Baskonia man Saulius Stombergas in a 65-90 triumph at AEK Athens on April 4, 2001, while he also set a new EuroLeague playoff record by attempting 19 three-point shots. As a team, Baskonia’s 16 made shots from beyond the arc were the second most in a playoff game, one shy of the 17 Anadolu Efes Istanbul converted in an 80-71 win against FC Barcelona on May 1, 2019.
Having finished with 28 points, going 1 for 7 on twos, 8 for 19 on threes and 2 for 2 from the line, Howard’s fingerprints were all over Friday’s night’s must-win game. Yet, his 11 PIR would suggest that other players had a more positive impact; four of his Baskonia teammates had a PIR of 12 or more – Tadas Sedekerskis (25 PIR), Matt Costello (23 PIR), Codi Miller-McIntyre (16 PIR) and Maik Kotsar (12 PIR).
The thing with PIR and a player like Howard is that his ability to heat up goes against the metrics that go into determining a player’s PIR. He almost never shies away from trying his luck, even when he has multiple defenders in his face, and every now and then he will catch lightning in a bottle to almost single-handedly lead his team to victory.
There has been plenty of talk about whom the best scorer is in the EuroLeague, particularly after Nigel Hayes-Davis broke the single-game scoring record with a 50-point night for Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul against ALBA Berlin in Round 32, but Howard’s teammate, Chima Moneke, perhaps said it best after the Spanish side’s win at Virtus in Round 34: “Markus Howard, the best scorer in Europe. Everyone was talking about a few names and nobody mentioned him. The things that he does on the court, nobody does it in the world.”
Confidence ahead of Real Madrid series
Baskonia fans would certainly echo that sentiment. It is incredibly impressive how Baskonia is a team transformed in those moments when Howard gets hot as he feels like he can make any shot. One team that will be particularly aware of what Howard can do is Real Madrid, Baskonia’s opponent in the EuroLeague Playoffs, as they have come up against him in both EuroLeague and Spanish League play.
However, Howard is confident about Baskonia’s chances, despite being the massive underdog in the 1-8 matchup against the reigning champion.
“I think we can go far,” he commented on Friday night. “I think we’re just hitting our stride – we’re finding how to win games, tough games especially, so that’s the thing. We’re still waiting to play our best basketball, so we’re excited.”
It was only in Round 33 that Howard erupted for a joint career-high 35 points at Real Madrid’s home, WiZink Center, in a 91-95 win – and the series will get underway in the Spanish capital on Tuesday night. The good times are back for Baskonia, which is back in the playoffs after a five-year absence, and it largely has Howard to thank.