By Eurohoops / info@eurohoops.net
Barça under Xavi Pascual is a different team and is now a contender for everything, but there was still one thorn in their side.
The Blaugrana had suffered nine consecutive defeats against Real Madrid in all competitions, an unacceptable record that the coach from Gavà (along with his players) has been tasked with remedying.
A great victory for Barça against Real Madrid, 105-100, in a game marked by the high accuracy of both teams.
Despite the absences (Vesely and Brizuela due to the flu, Clyburn and Juan Núñez due to injury), Barça displayed a superb performance.
Nico Laprovittola put his lackluster performances behind him after recovering from injury and was named MVP of the game, finishing with 19 points and 9 assists. Kevin Punter also played at a high level with 19 points, vital alongside Willy Hernangómez (8 points and 10 rebounds) and Tomas Satoransky (16 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists) for the visitors’ victory.
Mario Hezonja was the game’s top scorer with 27 points, but even his scoring wasn’t enough for Real Madrid to secure the win.
From the very first quarter (24-28), the game’s trend was clear: high scoring and a slight advantage for Barça.
As the minutes ticked by and the second half began, nothing changed, as Barça continued to find offensive rhythm while Real Madrid always played catch-up.
In the final quarter, having a slight lead proved crucial for Barça. The 89-98 score with 3:26 remaining was fantastic news for Xavi Pascual’s team, who from then on simply had to manage their advantage, an objective they achieved without too much trouble despite Mario Hezonja’s attempts at a comeback.
Liga Endesa Round 14
Valencia Basket – BAXI Manresa 103-76
Bàsquet Girona – Bilbao Basket 89-93
Kosner Baskonia – Morabanc Andorra 99-92
Hiopos Lleida – Casademont Zaragoza 77-87
Real Madrid – Barça 100-105
Río Breogán – Unicaja de Málaga 98-82
Dreamland Gran Canaria – UCAM Murcia 77-72
Coviran Granada – San Pablo Burgos 90-107
Joventut Badalona – La Laguna Tenerife 78-67
STANDINGS: Real Madrid (12-2), Valencia Basket (11-2), UCAM Murcia (10-4), Barça (10-4)…