BASKETBALL: Zamalek lose Intercontinental Cup opener against Spanish side CD Burgos
Zamalek have lost their opening game in the FIBA Intercontinental Cup semi-finals against Spanish club CD San Pablo de Burgos.
The FIBA Intercontinental Cup or FIBA Club World Cup is an annual tournament that gathers the best clubs from each geographical zone.
As the champions of the inaugural Basketball Africa League (BAL) tournament, organized by the NBA and FIBA, Zamalek have booked their place in the Intercontinental Cup.
They now become the first African or Arab side to partake in the tournament, which takes place in Cairo, Egypt.
The White Knights will be joined by reigning champions CD San Pablo de Burgos of Spain, NBA G-League champions, and Orlando Magic affiliate club Lakeland Magic and Brazil’s Flamengo.
Zamalek faced Basketball Champions League champions San Pablo de Burgos in the semi-final on Friday night, to fight for a spot in the final where they would face Flamengo who beat Lakeland Magic.
The Whites had a solid first quarter, which ended with them trailing 16-23. Despite their continuous efforts to comeback, they ended the first-half with a ten-point deficit, 34-44.
Burgos kept extending their lead to make it 47-63 by the end of the third quarter. Zamalek then attempted to fight back and even managed to reduce their opponent’s lead to single digits on several occasions.
However, each time they came close to bringing the scores back level, Burgos were able to stop their run and once again extend their lead.
Zamalek will now face Lakeland Magic in the third-place playoff next Sunday, 13 February at the Hassan Moustapha hall. Meanwhile, the reigning champions will compete for the trophy against Flamengo in the final.
