Barça seeks to forget the “stick” butler against Monaco
The ‘culers’ face a direct duel for the ‘Top 4’ on a good run
BARCELONA, 23 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Barça receives AS Monaco this Friday at the Palau Blaugrana (8:45 p.m.), on matchday 25 of the Regular Phase of the Euroleague, with the intention of extending their good run in the competition against a direct rival for the ‘Top 4’, although they will have to manage the “stick” that meant falling at the first exchange in the recent Copa del Rey.
Barça against Monaco, third against fourth and with only one win between them. A direct fight for the top of the table and for being seeded in the future ‘play-offs’, between two teams that arrive well, without counting domestic competitions, and that they want.
Monaco has not yet been able to win against Barça, although it was close to doing so in the tight 63-69 of the first round in the Principality, where the 15 points and 9 rebounds of the Blaugrana star Nikola Mirotic were key to the triumph of the Catalan team .
A Mirotic that little by little is taking shape and reaching his best version, after the Achilles tendon injury that had been weighing him down and had him ‘KO’. Now, the Spanish-Montenegrin is already the most valued player, the top scorer and rebounder for Barça in the Euroleague. And the ‘culers’ cling to him during this harsh visit.
However, Sarunas Jasikevicius’ men should know how to forget the “hard stick” that was, in the words of the coach, losing in the final fours of the Copa del Rey in Badalona, against a Unicaja that would ultimately be the champion. On the other hand, in the Euroleague, they have a good run of three consecutive victories against Bologna, Bayern and Maccabi.
Now, at the Palau Blaugrana, they will try to forget that cup-bearing stumble and continue on the right European path, against a team that is a direct rival. “Monaco is not a revelation team, last year they were already in the ‘play-off’ and they are excited about their project, they are going further and are investing in the squad”, warned ‘Saras’ in the preview.
The greatest danger for the Monegasques is an old Barça acquaintance, the American point guard Mike James, who also arrives in top form and scoring double figures in the last seven games, with an average of 17.3 points per game so far this season. Euroleague.
DATASHEET.
–EQUIPMENT.
BARÇA: Satoransky, Laprovittola, Kalinic, Mirotic and Vesely –possible starting five–; Sanli, Martinez, Abrines, Higgins, Tobey, Jokubaitis and Nnaji.
MONACO AS: James, Loyd, Moneke, Diallo and Hall –possible starting quintet–; Okobo, Brown, Blossomgame, Makoundou, Motiejunas, Ouattara and Strazel.
–REFEREES: Boltauzer, Hordov and Pastusiak.
–HALL: Palau Blaugrana.