Miraculous healing to prevent premature elimination
Kevin Punter leads Barça's comeback against a tricky UCAM Murcia
ValenciaBarça avoided an early exit against UCAM Murcia, who made the quarterfinal match a real slog. The Blaugrana recovered from a six-point deficit in a solid and decisive final stretch, showcasing the resilience of a team with more determination than resources (91-85). The Catalan side will play Kosner Baskonia in the semifinals this Saturday (9 pm, DAZN).
Xavi Pascual welcomed back Tomás Satoransky, Jan Veselý, and Kevin Punter, who staged a miraculous comeback. The American shooting guard, who emerged as a late threat, led the team to victory with 20 points. The coach left Miles Norris off the roster.
Barça quickly realized the match would be more about moments than moments of poetry. UCAM Murcia turned every play in the quarter-final tie into a battle. Sito Alonso's team made it an uncomfortable, tough match to win (20-19).
The Catalan team capitalized on a 5-0 run to open a small gap on the scoreboard (33-27), but UCAM Murcia responded decisively. Their determination was commendable. The Murcia team clung to the energy of Devontae Cacok to reach halftime with a small lead, but with their morale sky-high (42-44).
Pascual emphasized the role of Toko Shengelia, one of the team's few consistent players, but Barça still couldn't find the right formula in a third quarter that fueled UCAM Murcia's hopes. Fueled by both belief and sound decision-making, the momentum shifted in their favor with eight and a half minutes remaining (60-66).
When the game hit its worst moment, Barça responded with a 10-0 run (70-66). The Blaugrana team combined the inspired play of Kevin Punter and Nico Laprovittola with a clear improvement in defense. Barça's lead grew to nine points with two minutes remaining (84-75), when fear finally gripped the Murcia team.
Baskonia doesn't fail
Kosner Baskonia defeated La Laguna Tenerife in the other game of the day (91-81). The Basque team squandered a 16-point lead, but managed to turn things around in time. "We lacked a bit of stamina to finish the job," lamented Txus Vidorreta, coach of the island team.