Xavi Pascual turns to his favorite warrior to avoid suffering

BarcelonaWhile awaiting Will Clyburn's return, a far-from-its-best Barça side dispatched Asvel Villeurbanne (91-98) without much flair. The EuroLeague's bottom-ranked team, who accurately exploited the Blaugrana's weaknesses, put up a fight for 35 minutes on an uncomfortable night for the Catalan side, who ultimately remained competitive without dazzling. Toko Shengelia (22 points, 6 fouls drawn, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists), Xavi Pascual's favorite warrior, and Kevin Punter (31 points, 4/6 from three-point range) were the standout players for a lackluster Barça side that struggled to find its rhythm, performing better than its league position suggests. Despite Nando de Colo's departure to Fenerbahce, the French team played its cards well, forcing 17 Barça turnovers.

"We were able to control the game during the second half, step by step. We improved our defense and ended up doing a good job against an opponent that played good basketball," Pascual analyzed.

Barça struggled to contain the opponent's scoring during a first half in which they conceded 49 points. Pierric Poupet's game plan worked for the first ten and a half minutes, during which the French team scored with great ease. The Barça defense couldn't find a way to limit the production of Glynn Watson, who scored 17 points in 16 minutes. The home team's shooting percentages, which identified the visitors' weaknesses and accentuated their mistakes, were very good (49-47).

"During the first half, we didn't do anything right defensively. We played without energy or activity and conceded too many points on one-on-one situations. Furthermore, we didn't manage the rebounds well at all," Pascual lamented. The Barça team improved their defense and optimized Toko Shengelia's movements near the basket to turn the tide of a game that was gaining momentum. The Catalan team improved their performance, but were unable to break the game open (74-70).

Barça's final surge came with six minutes remaining, when the visitors' lead grew. Once the difference exceeded 10 points, the Barça team breathed a sigh of relief. The team maintained their focus until the end.

Third game of the week

Barça will close out a three-game week on Sunday by hosting La Laguna Tenerife at the Palau Blaugrana. The Catalan team, which has racked up ten consecutive victories in the Liga Endesa, needs a win to secure a top seed in the Copa del Rey in Valencia.