Barça sends a title favorite to the thinking corner

BarcelonaBarça forgot the bad feelings of Tuesday and showed their most reliable form on the Panathinaikos court (96-103). The Blaugrana team took advantage of their defensive improvement and good shooting to achieve a prestigious victory. The Catalan team emphasized their collective play and, thanks to their 23 assists, secured good shooting percentages and made 16 three-pointers.

"It's a very important victory for us, and we played a solid game. We scored 103 points and improved our defense," said Joan Peñarroya. The coach, who ruled out Juani Marcos, brought in Miles Norris. "We improved our defense and played as a team," said Will Clyburn, who added 23 points.

Barça, which had an initial lead of eleven points, completed a very competitive first half. More focused than on Tuesday, the Blaugrana team achieved good shooting percentages, gained second chances thanks to offensive rebounding, and limited their errors. The Catalans scored 51 points in the first 20 minutes (46-51).

Panathinaikos, one of the big favorites for the title, went into the final six minutes with a 16-point deficit (71-87). The Greek team's final comeback added excitement to a game in which Barça failed to open up and their three-pointers were a burden for Panathinaikos.

The ACB returns to TV3

Meanwhile, the Endesa League kicks off this Saturday. Baloncesto Girona visits San Pablo Burgos, Baxi Manresa plays at La Laguna Tenerife, and Hiopos Lleida hosts Río Breogán. TV3 and the 3Cat platform will broadcast a free-to-air match every Sunday at noon. Midweek matches will be broadcast on Esport3. The agreement with the ACB is for the next two seasons, with an option for a third.