Barça receives a reduced UNICS launched
BARCELONA, 21 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Barça receives this Wednesday the Russian UNICS Kazan at the Palau Blaugrana, on matchday 17 of the Euroleague Regular Phase, in a duel between two teams on a good roll but with a Barça reduced by casualties and that is beginning to be tired, factor to take into account before the UNICS of ex-blaugrana Mario Hezonja.
On the one hand, the local, eight consecutive victories. In the other, seven victories in the last eight days. Perhaps, a direct clash between the two teams that are better off in recent weeks but with that doubt as to whether what they have will be enough for Barça, due to the absences of weight that Sarunas Jasikevicius has.
Neither base Nick Calathes, guards Cory Higgins and Álex Abrines nor forward Sergi Martínez, all of them injured, will not be at the Palau Blaugrana, while forward Nigel Hayes-Davis, who will also be out because of COVID-10 infection, will not be at the Palau Blaugrana. he was confined in Athens.
There, at the OAKA in Athens, Barça posted the eighth victory in line (82-85) against a Panathinaikos who stood up and who reduced more physically to a squad below minimums, almost. Even so, Nikola Mirotic lasted almost 31 minutes on the court with 20 points and 7 rebounds, being the best of the Blaugranas and of the game.
Mirotic will once again be the reference in a match for which ‘Saras’ cannot recover any player. An open game is planned, of comings and goings, between two of the best defenses in the Euroleague and with the addition that UNICS stands out, above all, for its good defense of the triple – one of the strengths of this Barça.
But not only defense lives a UNICS that is back to the elite in a big way. He arrives with ex-Blaugrana Mario Hezonja in his ranks, with former NBA star OJ Mayo, and with a defensive specialist John Brown ready to sour the night for the Spanish international.
If Barça is the leader with a balance of 14-2, UNICS is fourth – tied with three other teams – with 10-6 under its belt. He comes from linking three victories, the last of them at home against Zalgiris (66-53) with a great game, precisely, by Mario Hezonja (20 points) before the Croatian returns to a Palau that was his home.
DATASHEET.
–EQUIPMENT.
BARÇA: Laprovittola, Kuric, Exum, Mirotic and Sanli –possible initial quintet–; Davies, Smits, Orihuela, Jokubaitis, Caicedo, Ubal.
UNICS KAZAN: L. Brown, Mayo, Hezonja, J.Brown and Vorontsevich -possible starting five-; Spissu, Canaan, Brantley, Zaitcec, Klimenko, Uzinskii, Jekiri.
– REFEREES: Javor, Difallah and Peerandi.
– PAVILION: Palau Blaugrana.