Saras Jasikevicius’s Barça failed to achieve victory in their visit to Valencia and fell 86-76 in a match marked by intensity and equality in a score that was not resolved until the final minutes.
Maximum equality from the start
Barça started ahead thanks to a basket by Calathes when three seconds had not yet passed, but Nico Laprovittola was the name of the match with three consecutive three-pointers that helped hold Barça up in the opening minutes. The high level of intensity has prevailed from the beginning, with a Fonteta that always presses and a high scoring pace. The blaugranas took advantage of Valencia’s loss of possession to punish errors and continue to add weight to a score that was still level at the end of the first quarter (21-21).
The dynamism has been maintained and the game has presented a tough physical battle with a high level of success by both teams. With spectacular plays from the recently renewed Dante-Exum, Brandon Davies and Mirotic, Barça did not let up and went into the break two points ahead (40-42).
The offensive rebound condemns Barça
Barça was able to get a slight advantage after the restart, but far from reality, Valencia has returned to tighten the result, constantly alternating control of the scoreboard. Valencia’s offensive rebound has been the key to the match, with a Barça that has allowed new opportunities after the missed shots by the rivals and that has not found the formula to disarm the Valencian potential under the basket.
Confident and spurred on by their fans, Valencia was ahead at the end of the third quarter (64-61) and began to see the possibility of beating Barça at home four years later. He has not found a way to close the gap to a Barça team that, desperately, has tried to hold on to the triple shots with a very low percentage of success.
End to winning streak
It was not the day of a Barça that resignedly conceded the defeat in the third game of the week and of the thirteen that it will play this March, ending with a winning streak that has lasted up to 12 wins.
MATCH SHEET
Valencia Basket, 86
Barça, 76
Valencia Basket: Neno (14), López-Arostegui (7), Víctor Claver (4), Jaime Pradilla (11) and Mike (15) – starting five – Puerto (2), Prepelic (8), Ferrando (3), Dubljevic ( 4), Rivero (14).
Barça: Calathes (4), Laprovittola (9), Exum (11), Mirotic (14) and Sanli (7) -initial five- Sergi Martínez (2), Jokubaitis (7), Roland Smits (-), Kuric (7) , Abrines (-), Hayes (1) and Davies (11)
partial: 21-21; 19-21 | 24-19; 22-15.
referees: Anthony Count, Jorge Martinez, Roberto Lucas
