Barça does not do good business in the United Arab Emirates.
Defeat for the Barça team in their debut on the Dubai court
BarcelonaA bitter start in the United Arab Emirates. Barça couldn't extend its strong run in the Euroleague and lost on the court of Dubai Basketball (83-78). The Blaugrana team lost momentum in an inconsistent final quarter.
Darío Brizuela and Toko Shengelia were the visiting players with the most accurate shooting (19 points) on an afternoon in which Kevin Punter missed all six of his field goals. "They played better in the crucial moments. We didn't do a good job offensively today and our shooting percentages were very low," admitted Joan Peñarroya. The Egarense coach returned young Sayon Keita to the starting five, leaving Youssoupha Fall out of the squad. Joel Parra added 7 points and 8 rebounds.
Despite strong performances in some specific moments, Barça fell short at the Coca-Cola Arena. "We knew how to manage our energy during a very difficult week. When they played well, we didn't panic and we knew how to handle the situation well," said Dubai coach Jurica Golemac.
Dubai came into the game on the better foot and took advantage of their offensive efficiency to take their first lead on the scoreboard (24-15). Barça's comeback came in a second quarter in which the Barça defense nullified the home team's strengths. The Blaugrana only conceded 9 points in 10 minutes (33-34).
The visitors' defense was a mirage and they struggled again after the break to maintain their rigor. Although Dubai's three-point shooting percentages were very low, the home team easily racked up points to reach the final quarter with a favorable outcome (58-56). Will Clyburn's productivity did not continue. When the crucial moment arrived, Barça made a fool of themselves and let their fourth win of the season slip away. The home side's three-pointers appeared in the decisive moments. Furthermore, Filip Petrusev perfectly read the defensive shortcomings of an inconsistent Barça side. "The game was very tough because they wanted to play very fast, but we knew how to defend well," said the Serbian center.
Hellish week
Barça will close out a demanding week on Sunday with their third away game against Unicaja. Peñarroya will continue to be without Juan Núñez and Nico Laprovittola, who is finalizing his recovery.
