Óscar Orellana revives the spirit of Barça

BarcelonaWhile awaiting Xavi Pascual's final decision, Barça secured a crucial victory on Bayern Munich's court (74-75). The Barça side's improvement was encouraging. A missed free throw by Spencer Dinwiddie with 1.2 seconds remaining prevented the German team from forcing overtime.

Òscar Orellana, a coach as talented as he is discreet, who has been with Barça for 21 years, managed to lift the team's spirits and mask some of their weaknesses. His influence was evident in the improved defensive transitions and rotations. The interim coach, who left Youssoupha Fall out of the squad, used all 12 players. "I'm very happy with the team's spirit. Every player gave their best, and I'm proud," he said.

"We controlled the game well and played a good game defensively. It's not the best situation, but the team stayed united," said Tomás Satoransky, who finished with 13 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists.

Gordon Herbert, sidelined with the flu, was unable to coach Bayern Munich, who were led by TJ Parker. Barça's performance, conceding only 15 points in the first 10 minutes, was solid and allowed them to get off to a good start (15-20).

By emphasizing their team play and lowering their opponent's shooting percentages, the visitors' lead grew to 12 points in Munich (19-31), where the home team relied on Spencer Dinwiddie to maintain their momentum. The former NBA player scored 16 of the German team's 32 points in the first half (32-43).

Barça reverted to some of the bad habits of previous weeks and seemed to lose focus on the game (49-52). The ghosts of the past reappeared in Munich, where the German team increased their intensity. The Catalan side lost order and balance on offense. Kevin Punter's turnovers proved costly, and Bayern managed to tie the score (52-52).

The final quarter was thrilling. Bayern Munich improved their play and, consequently, their confidence. An inspired Xavier Rathan-Mayes and offensive rebounding put Barça on the ropes with two minutes remaining (73-74). A made free throw by Will Clyburn and a missed one by Spencer Dinwiddie sealed the victory for Barça.

Earrings by Xavi Pascual

Barça expects Xavi Pascual's final answer this Thursday. The club is finalizing the signing of Trae Bell-Haynes, a point guard currently playing for Casademont Zaragoza, and is considering adding a forward. Additionally, the Catalan club is looking to offload Miles Norris. The American power forward only played 4.47 minutes in Munich, where he failed to score.