Barça de Grimau lays the foundation stone in the Euroleague
Triumph in the European premiere, with a great Willy Hernangómez, on an Efes also under construction
MADRID, 5 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Barça beat Anadolu Efes Istanbul (91-74) this Thursday in the first day of the Euroleague held at the Palau Blaugrana, a victory to grow and trust in the new project led by Roger Grimau from the bench, with a great Willy Hernangómez , a good attitude and a decisive last quarter to break the game.
The culé team took a step forward on the occasion of the European premiere, a competition that is already an obsession in Barcelona. It was not possible to break the drought, the last European Cup was in 2010, in the three years of Sarunas Jasikevicius and, with new players and a new coach, the doubts are served.
The two defeats against Real Madrid at the start of the campaign did not help, but against Efes Barça did respond. Willy did it, with 18 points and a PIR of 24, one of those called to the role of leader, and also Jan Vesley (16 and 19). Grimau’s team defended a little better in the give and take, and ended the excitement in the last quarter with Darío Brizuela as a luxury assistant.
Efes was in the end the greenest in the continental debut, under the command of Erdem Can. Darius Thompson, formerly of Baskonia, did not have his day and Shane Larkin was the one who pulled the car, along with some of Elijah Bryant and Tyrique Jones from less to more without reaching the last quarter where Barça was lethal.
A 40-34 lead was the score of a game with a lot of attack and little defense, a script that continued in the third quarter (29-30). Efes was unable to make three points, although Willis and Larkin scored in the second quarter, after a fast-paced scoring start. Álex Abrines defended Will Clyburn well and Vesley accompanied the work of a well-toned and eager Willy.
The former NBA scored 11 points in the third quarter, vital there along with Nicolás Laprovittola, although Efes had a response (69-64). Barça sealed the match at the Palau with a final quarter in which they regained the confidence lost in the Clásicos with Madrid. Vesley followed Willy’s dominance and Brizuela came into action to connect with assists without looking at Jabari Parker, who sealed Barça’s individual and general debut in the Euroleague.
DATASHEET.
–RESULT: BARÇA, 91 – ANADOLU EFES ISTANBUL, 74. (40-34, at rest).
–EQUIPMENT.
BARÇA: Laprovittola (13), Satoransky (8), Kalinic (4), Da Silva (4) and Vesely (16) –starting quintet–; Brizuela (7), Parker (10), Hernangómez (18), Abrines (7), Jokubaitis (4), Parra (-).
ANADOLU EFES ISTANBUL: Larkin (16), Thompson (2), Willis (8), Yilmaz (3) and Zizic (9) — starting quintet–; , Bryant (10), Clyburn (7), Pleiss (5), Jones (10), Hollatz (-), Beaubois (4).
–PARTIALS: 22-19, 18-15, 29-30, 22-10.
–REFEREES: Radovic, Difallah and Jovcic. No eliminated.
–PAVILLION: Palau Blaugrana.