Two fearless players bless Sekulic's culer baptism

BarcelonaOf all the possible debuts, Barça chose the most exciting one. The blue and garnet team recovered from a 15-point deficit against Anadolu Efes (89-82). A handful of good decisions by Kevin Punter and Justin Robinson in the final stretch decided a game in which the 'culer' side overcame the difference in free throws.Aleksander Sekulic made his debut on the home bench at the Palau with the absences of Yoan Makoundou, Tosan Evbuomwan, and Josh Nebo, three key interior players in his schemes. The coach adapted his game plan and, at the same time, prepared a defensive plan to prevent Mike James, whom the club said they did not want when he had already agreed to his signing, from repeating a scenario similar to that of Nico Laprovittola.The club took advantage of the Euroleague debut to celebrate the section's centenary with a handful of well-intentioned initiatives. Despite not having the presence of president Joan Laporta, the box gathered many historical legends.

Pablo Laso's Anadolu Efes only needed four minutes to show the level of a Barça side that needs time (4-19). Without using personal fouls, the Turkish team limited the scoring of a Blaugrana squad that took time to turn the situation around. The hosts took advantage of Darío Brizuela's burst to score 29 points in the second quarter and turn the score around (45-44).The Turkish rival took advantage of the halftime break to readjust their defense and once again block the aspirations of a Barça team that needs to play with rhythm to score consistently (63-67). The game reached the final two minutes tied, when a three-pointer and an assist by Justin Robinson proved decisive.