The youngest coach strips the champion: the ARA's Instant Replay

BarcelonaiLerna Lleida pulled off the big surprise at the Roig Arena, where they defeated Valencia Basket for the first time (100-105). The Lleida team overcame a 9-point deficit to spoil Nikola Mirotic's debut. Gerard Encuentra, the youngest coach in the Liga Endesa (he will turn 37 in January), moved his pieces with great intelligence. James Batemon and Darius McGhee combined for 44 points on the court of the reigning champion.

Madness to turn a sock inside out

Fiatc Girona debuted with a win against the uncomfortable UCAM Murcia (84-77). The spirit of Jassel Pérez, who scored 20 points, was key for the Girona team to overcome a six-point deficit at Fontajau. Despite missing 12 of the 34 free throws they attempted, the home team opened the season on the right foot. "The level of effort we had at the end was decisive," analyzed Moncho Fernández.

Dani Miret speaks the truth

Asisa Joventut felt the hangover of the title celebrated at home and lost on the court of Río Breogán (110-104). The green-and-black team had the absences of Tomic, Kraag, and Sulejmanovic, who became a father. "We cannot expect to be competitive only by playing a few minutes with a good collective defensive tone. If we concede 110 points, we cannot expect a positive result. It is impossible to win if we do not have all five players involved in defense," lamented Dani Miret.

A Pole against sick leaves

Barça got rid of Leyma Coruña (119-101). The score by the blue and garnet team represents their best record in an ACB game since the 2017-18 season. Olek Balceroski covered for the interior absences with a great performance: 21 points with 9/9 from the field and 6 rebounds. Kids&Us Manresa lost on the court of Surne Bilbao (107-92). Furthermore, Hugo Benítez was unable to finish the game due to a hard blow to the ribs.