By Alex Molina/ amolina@eurohoops.net
After the disappointment in Monaco, Barça faced a new Liga Endesa clash that could not have gone better for the blaugranas.
The game against Surne Bilbao ended with a 90-61, a score that perfectly reflects what was seen on the court and that, logically, allowed Xavi Pascual to rotate the squad ahead of the crucial match against Bayern Munich, which will decide the blaugranas’ future.
Youssoupha Fall delivered one of his best performances with Barça, scoring 17 points to become the team’s top scorer. Joel Parra, with 16, also had a standout contribution.
Krampelj was one of the few positives for Bilbao, putting up 16 points.
However, the main protagonist of the game was Juan Núñez, who returned to play at the Palau Blaugrana more than a year later.
Later, Kosner Baskonia survived the clash against Dreamland Gran Canaria and got the victory thanks to a 88-86 score. Trent Forrest finished the game with 16 points and scored the game-winning 2+1.
To finish the round, Real Madrid comfortably defeated San Pablo Burgos 78–94 to improve to an impressive 24–2 record in Liga Endesa.
Mario Hezonja, with 20 points, was the game’s top scorer. Gabriele Procida (15 points) once again made the most of his opportunity, as did Alex Len, who, with Tavares resting, contributed 10 points and 9 rebounds.
Leo Meindl, with 18 points, was one of the few positives for the home side.
Liga Endesa Round 26
BAXI Manresa – Asisa Joventut 87-77
UCAM Murcia – Coviran Granada 107-91
Unicaja – Valencia Basket 89-96
Barcelona – Surne Bilbao 90-61
Kosner Baskonia – Dreamland Gran Canaria 88-86
San Pablo Burgos – Real Madrid 78-94
La Laguna Tenerife – Basquet Girona 97-94
Breogán – MoraBanc Andorra 97-99
Basket Zaragoza – Hiopos Lleida 107-91
STANDINGS: Real Madrid 24-2, Valencia Basket 20-6, UCAM Murcia 19-7, Kosner Baskonia 19-7…