MADRID, 16 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Barça beat Bitci Baskonia (77-96) this Wednesday in the postponed match of matchday 20 of the Endesa League, a good and successful performance by the culé at the Fernando Buesa Arena to reach the leadership of Real Madrid with 18 wins.
Sarunas Jasikevicius’s team went from fourth to fourth, bombing their rival to around 20 lead points in the third and final set. The culé team takes revenge for two defeats this season against the Basques to hunt down Madrid, now tied at the top and the Catalans with one less game.
The culé team started plugged in with 12 points from Laprovittola in the first quarter but, despite opening a gap, Baskonia responded to the blows with Fontecchio. ‘Saras’ was especially intense so that Barça continued pressing, leaving the Basques with only four assists in the first half.
And it is that the second quarter followed the line of the beginning and the Basques found it more difficult to follow the rhythm. Despite dominating the rebound, with a 1 of 7 triples it was impossible for Baskonia to prevent the escape. Kuric and Mirtotic gave the culé cushion at the break (31-42) and Laprovittola (top scorer with 24 points in 20 minutes) returned to the charge after the break.
Barça had the game in their hands in another rush that wasted in the last minutes of the third quarter. Peters and Costello kept the Basques in contention, who came down 20, but ‘Saras”s team struck the final blow with Davies. Those of Neven Spahija, with a 5/22 in triples, fit their second consecutive defeat in the League and will have to keep rowing to defend the zone of ‘playoffs’.