By Alex Molina / info@eurohoops.net
Barça and Real Madrid have faced each other for the fourth time this season and, as is almost always the case, the victory has gone to Los Blancos.
The team coached by Sergio Scariolo rolled over their opponents and secured a commanding win at the Palau with a resounding 76-95.
Facundo Campazzo, Mario Hezonja, and Gabriele Procida led the scoring for the visitors, while Jan Vesely and Will Clyburn were the only Barça players to reach double figures.
As expected, El Clásico began with both teams evenly matched, although Barça held a slight edge after the first ten minutes (18–15).
However, it didn’t take long for Real Madrid to completely take control of the game. A massive 15–36 run in the second quarter gave them total dominance, and they went into halftime leading 33–51, a scoreline that spoke for itself after already building a lead of over twenty points.
The break did not change anything at all. Every Barça possession was a struggle for Xavi Pascual, who grew increasingly frustrated on the sidelines as the game slipped further out of reach. Meanwhile, for Real Madrid, things were very different: every piece of their deep arsenal was firing, and they closed the third quarter at 53–71, a margin that almost felt flattering to Barça.
Unsurprisingly, the final quarter was little more than a formality. Although Xavi Pascual tried to shake things up by bringing in Kusturica, Real Madrid had no trouble showing that, at present, they are several levels above Barça.
Liga Endesa Round 23
Hiopos Lleida – Asisa Joventut 86-88
Dreamland Gran Canaria – Río Breogán 75-83
Kosner Baskonia – Basquet Girona 94-81
Valencia Basket – Coviran Granada 107-91
Barcelona – Real Madrid 76-95
Casademont Zaragoza – San Pablo Burgos 108-98
Unicaja de Málaga – La Laguna Tenerife 70-95
MoraBanc Andorra – Surne Bilbao 98-102
BAXI Manresa – UCAM Murcia 86-90