Inexplicable. Barça did not find out that the final series was beginning. It is impossible to understand that in the first duel of the final playoff, your rival, Madrid, endorsed you with 30 points in the first quarter and you only committed three personal fouls. It is not necessary to talk about technical or tactical aspects, when in the blink of an eye you give away the game. Madrid was a much more ambitious team. I suppose that for many culés followers this simple affirmation is very painful. But it is the truth. The intensity and character of the Whites’ defense allowed them to steal endless balls, 9 in 20′, and thus play at a gallop. Baskets in transitions, triples everywhere, almost infallible percentages, and an insulting rebounding superiority. Saras said in the previous one that in this type of confrontation you cannot give anything to the opponent.
If what we saw were not so serious, we could take it as a somewhat humorous comment. Madrid made constant changes in the 2×2, and Barça self-destructed. No one raised their heads in the face of the gale of a rival that fed on errors and the Blaugrana’s lack of ability to react. Sanli’s loss suggested a ride for Tavares. It was not so. A huge Hanga emerged, which had a perfect complement in Causeur until the break. In the third period, Barça dedicated themselves to looking for an exchange of baskets, and Madrid accepted it. Logical: they were winning by 20 points. Poirier, Deck and Yabusele cooked it all up, and the game was over. Madrid shot more to the basket and with better percentages. No more.
WAITING FOR THE SECOND ASSAULT
Will Barça be able to recover from such a corrective? Each game is a story and, therefore, you should answer yes. But the team transmits many doubts. Davies’ image is disheartening. He wanders around the track. Nothing goes right for him, and he feels overwhelmed by the stage. But Higgins has not just started either and, although Kuric has returned, the Blaugrana perimeter is not very solvent. And Madrid’s defense floats and floats looking to close his painting. It is true that without Sanli centimeters are missing. But this does not explain why the whites take the same offensive rebounds as Barça’s defensive ones. It is a matter of concentration, energy and desire. These are reflections that arise when the match ended only half an hour ago. Tomorrow will be different.
It must be different! The Palau demands a repair. He wants facts and not words. It is time for the dressing room to rebel against the image that has been given in the first game. There is a way to do it much better and, above all, dignify the basketball that Barça has been able to offer its own for months. Believe in yourself and fight relentlessly. It is the minimum that the Blaugrana demands of them. We will see if Saras bets on Exum, or gives minutes to Nnaji, if Sanli does not recover. By the way, I didn’t understand Nnaji’s substitution with 16” remaining in the game.
MADRID WALKED AGAINST AN UNKNOWN BARÇA
There were individuals in Madrid. But what struck me the most was the collective effort of all the players. They went into the match convinced they could win.And they fought until they got it. They had no rival.