Vital triumph for Barça in the Carpena
Jasikevicius’ men clip Unicaja’s wings with the 2-1 that brings them closer to the Endesa League final
MADRID, 11 Jun. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Barça won (79-90) this Sunday at the Martín Carpena to regain command (2-1) in the Endesa League semifinal playoff, one win away from reaching the final, which can be signed on Tuesday new in Malaga thanks to a vital step forward.
Sarunas Jasikevicius’ men found themselves without a margin of error after giving up Palau’s unbeaten record in the twentieth game of the season at home (19-1). Unicaja’s 1-1 draw served for a decisive third course, which Barça tied with the good game of key men such as Nicolás Laprovittola, Tomas Satoransky and Nikola Mirotic, as well as a choral contribution forced by Unicaja’s intense fight.
As expected, Carpena received Barça with a knife between their teeth, equalizing forces in a series without a favorite at this point. The Catalan team was slow to slow down the local momentum at the start, and they did so with Mirotic coming off the bench with eight points at one point (17-20). Kravish was the best of Unicaja.
The rhythm of the people from Malaga did not let up and, although Barça found some success from three in the second quarter, they struggled to maintain the intensity on the parquet. Kalinoski and Perry put up with the exchange at Navarro’s, while, like Mirotic, Laprovittola understood that Barça needed him (43-40).
However, and as in the second game, the Argentine was full of fouls in the third quarter, in a weak start again for the Catalans that motivated the Carpena fanfare. Barça reacted after a timeout with two triples from Satoransky and settled with the work of fresh people like Da Silva and Nnaji (49-53).
Without truce, both teams punished each mistake, although Barça entered the last quarter with that small cushion (60-66). The ‘Saras’ men also improved on the rebound and, with a three-pointer from Kalinic, they put their best income in the light six minutes from time (64-73). Laprovittola returned to the track just like Carter on the other side, another with foul problems, and Barça reached the outcome better.
The triples did not enter the locals and the culé team took out the resources that are assumed to be a favorite to win the semifinal again. Those of ‘Saras’, in search of reconquering the Endesa League, achieve a vital victory so as not to encourage the still alive dream of a Unicaja who, after being Cup champion, wants to return to an ACB final from the title they won in 2006.
DATASHEET.
–RESULT: UNICAJA, 79 – BARÇA, 90. (43-40, at halftime).
–EQUIPMENT.
UNICAJA: Perry (12), Kalinoski (9), Barreiro (-), Osetkowski (-) and Sima (7) –starting five–; Carter (11), Brizuela (5), Thomas (8), Djedovic (7), Kravish (13), Ejim (7), Diaz (-).
BARÇA: Satoransky (12), Laprovittola (12), Abrines (10), Mirotic (12) and Vesely (6) –starting five–; Sanli (4), Kalinic (12), Kuric (10), Jokubaitis (2), Nnaji (8), Da Silva (2), Paulí (-).
–PARTIALS: 17-20, 26-20, 17-26, 19-24.
–REFEREES: Conde, Caballero and Torres Sánchez. Fouled out Vesley.
–PAVILION: José María Martín Carpena Sports Palace, 10,602 spectators.