FC Porto beat Sporting 86-76, one win from the final | OneFootball

FC Porto are one win away from reaching the basketball championship final after beating Sporting 86-76 in the third game of the semi-finals, played this Friday at the Dragão Arena.

The Lions got off to the better start and even opened up a 10-point lead in the first quarter.

However, the rest of the first half went FC Porto’s way, as the Dragons went into the break leading 48-41, with a seven-point advantage over their rivals.

In the second half, Sporting once again made a strong start and managed to cut the deficit to just two points on several occasions, even drawing level at 59 points in the third quarter.

Despite that, FC Porto responded and pulled away again on the scoreboard, much to the delight of the many fans at the Dragão Arena.

In the end, victory went to the blue and whites, who finished the game with a 10-point lead and now lead the series.

Maleeck Harden-Hayes was the standout player, despite ending up on the losing side, with 21 points and three rebounds, while for FC Porto, Corey Allen-Williams and Cornelius Hudson were the most productive, both with 15 points, with the former also adding six assists.

It should be remembered that the first finalist has already been decided, after Benfica, the reigning four-time champions, swept Oliveirense with three straight wins, keeping alive their ambition of winning a fifth consecutive title.

FC Porto now need just one more win to secure a place in the final for the third consecutive season, a stage at which they have always ended up losing in the Clássicos against the Eagles. Sporting, meanwhile, will have to win two games to turn the series around, as they trail 2-1.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.