An unseen hero softens Xavi Pascual's landing

BarcelonaSecond game with Òscar Orellana on the bench, second victory for Barça. When things looked bleakest, the Blaugrana took advantage of a 16-0 run in the decisive stretch of the final quarter to overcome Virtus Bologna and secure their second consecutive win. Xavi Pascual's arrival won't be as dramatic as it seemed a few days ago. The coach, who will take over the team on MondayHe did not attend the Palau Blaugrana, a venue that is counting on him to salvage the season. David Carro, his agent, watched the match from one of the baselines.

After a close first quarter in which Carsen Edwards tested the home team (20-19), Virtus punished Willy Hernangómez's defense to build a six-point lead (27-33). Overly reliant on Kevin Punter and Nico Laprovittola's scoring, Barça struggled to move the ball quickly, but their three-point shooting proved lethal (8-12). This surge allowed them to go into halftime with a lead (45-43).

Lacking consistency in their defensive efforts, Barça struggled to play with regularity. Lapses in concentration on defense negated what they gained on offense. With less flair but more discipline, Virtus regained the initiative on both the court and the scoreboard. Dusko Ivanovic managed to raise the Italian team's defensive level, which reduced the Catalan side's scoring. Without three-pointers, the scoring drought was evident (61-67).

The visitors' lead grew to 8 points at the start of the final period, when all the alarm bells started ringing (61-69). Joel Parra led a 16-0 run that turned the game around and reshaped the landscape (77-69). His defensive energy was on full display, and Virtus went more than five minutes without scoring. Despite the push, Barça couldn't close out the game and suffered until the final buzzer. Three-pointers from Kevin Punter and Will Clyburn ended the visitors' hopes.

Touching gesture towards Polonara

Before the game began, Barça made a touching gesture towards Achille Polonara, the former Virtus player who is battling leukemia. The club projected his image on the video scoreboard, and the Barça fans gave him a standing ovation. Doctors gave the power forward, who spent ten days in a coma, a 90% chance of dying.