BarcelonaBarça completed three wonderful days with a victory at the Estrella Roja track that have boosted the confidence of the fans. The Blaugrana team won in a chaotic game that was decided in extra time (94-98). The performance of Kevin Punter (26 points) was decisive. “We showed character to get a very important victory,” he acknowledged. “The team fought for 45 minutes”, analyzed Joan Peñarroya, coach of the Catalan team.
The first half was both even and entertaining. Without outside success and with too many mistakes by Willy Hernangómez from the free throw line, the Blaugrana team knew how to find alternative points to counteract the defensive proposal of the Red Star (47-44).
Barça improved their offensive production at the start of the third quarter, but Estrella Roja knew how to react to maintain the scoring pulse of the Blaugrana team. A partial 10-0 gave the initiative to the Serbian team. Mike Daum’s points, former Obradoiro player, turned into a headache for the visitors (65-56).
Ioannis Sfairopoulos opted for an inside game with more mobility than centimeters and this tactical bet was a major challenge for Barça. The game was tied in the final seconds, when Kevin Punter missed the 3-pointer that would have prevented overtime. In extra time, the American escort pulled out the thorn with a decisive performance.
Constant incidents
The match was full of incidents. A dog stopped the game and Movistar went without a signal just seconds before the end of regulation, when the commentators had to explain what was happening through the statistics. In addition, Joan Peñarroya was punished with a technical for protesting a mistake by the scorers’ table.
