Unexpected finding of Sekulic on the Barça bench

BarcelonaWhile Madrid has lost the three games they have played in the Euroleague, Aleksander Sekulic's Barça has accumulated two victories. The Slovenian coach struck gold with the blaugrana bench on Besiktas' court (82-95). The substitute players of the Catalan team combined to score 47 points. The Turkish side squandered their chances with a very poor shot selection (29/76).

"Besiktas has demonstrated their quality, but our team responded very well. We maintained intensity and concentration throughout the match to avoid repeating the mistakes we made in Dubai, where five minutes cost us the victory," analyzed Sekulic. The Slovenian coach was once again without Josh Nebo, Tosan Evbuomwan, and Yoan Makoundou.

Despite it being the second game of the week for both teams, the match had a very high pace, as both Alimpijevic and Sekulic opted to emphasize their transition game. Umoja Gibson scored 15 points. "We played as a team and I was able to provide energy," said the point guard.

Barça took advantage of Besiktas' poor aim, who missed 17 of the 22 shots they attempted during the first quarter, to get off to a good start in the match. The blaugrana team was able to build a 12-point lead (10-22). The Turkish side used Scottie Wilbekin's entry to improve their performance (17-25).

The Catalan team, which played with more tactical discipline than on other days, took advantage of their efficiency from the three-point line and the contribution of Kevin Punter and Darío Brizuela to score 52 points during the first half. Besiktas used offensive rebounds and Barça's turnovers to stay alive in the game (40-52).

Barça stood strong at the Turkcell Basketball Development Center (56-71). Umoja Gibson had good minutes, both in terms of scoring and in managing the ball. Besiktas' poor shot selection was a burden for the home team. Very consistent offensively, the blaugrana squad reached the final ten minutes with a 17-point lead (62-79).

Despite only having Olek Balcerowski as an interior player, Sekulic found formulas to play with five small players on the court. Besiktas' final reaction served to narrow the score, but Barça controlled the situation comfortably. "It was not our night. Our defense was soft and we missed too many shots," opined Alimpijevic, coach of Besiktas.