Heroic performance by Barça of a thousand lives in Málaga
The blue and garnet team recovers eleven points and wins in extra time
BarcelonaA Barça team with more courage than available players won the first game of the quarterfinal tie against Unicaja (97-101). The Blaugrana team was able to recover from an eleven-point deficit. The duel, which was decided in overtime, had a handful of unexpected twists and turns, and both teams alternated periods of effectiveness with others of frustration.
Joan Peñarroya recovered Àlex Abrines, but was without Jan Vesely. The coach from Egarense only had nine first-team players available. "We played with courage," said the coach, who played a key role in some decisive periods with small ball.
Barça's performance was brilliant. The Blaugrana took advantage of Fall's impressive size and Parker's accuracy to build a nine-point lead in just two minutes (2-11). Unicaja didn't panic and played to their usual routine to turn the score around in just a few minutes. The home side forced the visitors to try shots from unintended positions (21-16).
Barça's poor offensive chances turned into quick transitions for a Unicaja side that maintained a strong scoring pace. Lacking success from the three-point line, the Blaugrana team struggled to keep their chances of winning alive in Málaga (46-37).
Personal fouls were a problem for Barça, which took a while to understand the referee's criteria. The Blaugrana team knew how to handle their weakest moment, reacted by improving their defense, and reached the final ten minutes with an advantage on the scoreboard. Unicaja's shooting percentage plummeted (60-62).
The nerves shifted steadily between the teams, and the game was tied in the final five minutes (73-73). With Barça trailing by two points and just 2.5 seconds remaining, Justin Anderson forced overtime by scoring two of his three free throws (85-85). In extra time, the Catalan team was the better team.
La Penya, without a net
Without a safety net and forced to win to stay alive, Joventut faces La Laguna Tenerife (7 p.m., Movistar+ Deportes).
Real Madrid began their knockout phase yesterday with a win against a well-competing Baskonia (82-76). Edy Tavares was decisive.