Barça seemed unstoppable a month and a half ago, when they crushed Madrid in the last Euroleague Clásico. After dominating that match from start to finish, the azulgranas started as favorites for the next duel with the whites, which was going to be played on January 2. But the casualties due to covid forced the clash to be postponed until this Sunday and since then the panorama had changed completely. Since the last Clásico, the madridistas had linked eight victories while the azulgranas had lost four of the last five games. But at the Wizink, Barça came out willing to recover its best version and stormed the white fiefdom.
And he did it without having to resort to the best version of Mirotic. sarunas jasikevicius he recovered his star, who in the last match against his former team achieved his PIR record in the Euroleague (39) and equaled his scoring record (31). After overcoming the covid, he was not so fine, but he scored a decisive triple.
Paul Lasso could also count again on Eddy Tavares, just out of quarantine too, in addition to with Gaby Deck. Nine months after embarking on his failed American adventure and his flirtation with Barça, the Argentine forward was wearing white again. But Barça embittered his return and the tribute to Philip Reyes, former Madridista captain who retired in June after 17 seasons.
Sanli wins the duel against Tavares
It was a choral triumph, based on the improvement of intensity and defense. The intensity of Davies on both sides and the triples by Kuric and Mirotic gave them a minimal advantage at halftime (40-42). Upon leaving the locker room, Barça came out much more intense, opening the first big gap thanks to Sanli. The Ottoman center only struggled with Tavares in defense but short-circuited the white giant with his outside shot, adding 10 points in the third act.
Thanks to the ‘Turkish card’, Jasikevicius’s block stood in the last act with an income of nine points, which seemed like a world in a match that had been very close in the first half. But Madrid tightened the defense and the marker. When there was more turbulence, Sanli re-emerged, gigantic under the two hoops. And, when he went to the bench, the defensive solidity of his teammates and the free throws kept the Barcelona ship afloat until a triple by Mirotic placed a decisive 73-81 20 seconds from the end. Kuric, also from 6.75, closed the scoring and tied with Sanli as the game’s top scorer.
Happy return of Laprovittola
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“It’s always going to be difficult here, but we’re happy because we haven’t come here in very good shape”, reflected Jasikevicius, before highlighting the attitude of Mirotic and Laprovittola, who received a close marking from their former fans. “For the two Nicos it is not easy but they have been very solid and focused”.
While Mirotic is used to it, it was Laprovittola’s first visit to his old pavilion since he took the airlift in the summer. “It is a very important victory for everyone, especially for me, as I told my daughter. I concentrated and tried to be as solid as possible,” said the base, the most valued of the pulse. “Things worked out and it’s a sign of who we are as a team.”