REAL MADRID-BARÇA 75-85
Real Madrid Quintet: Williams-Goss, Abalde, Taylor, Yabusele, Tavares.
Quintet Barça: Calathes, Laprovittola, Kuric, Sanli, Smits.
Partial: 24-18, 16-24, 14-21, 21-22.
Third classic season (after the Madrid super cup victory and the Catalan victory at Palau in the Euroleague) which sees the historical rivals at the WiZink Center opposing. Great time of the whites who come from a 10-match winning streak while the azulgrana they have lost some certainty in the last period (5 wins and 4 defeats). Despite this, the two teams lead both the ACB and the Euroleague rankings.
A dunk by Tavares opens the Clasico of the WiZink Center, recovery of the 16th day that should have been played on January 2 and had been postponed due to the different positivity of theazulgrana team. After a balanced start, Madrid put their heads ahead with Abalde for the momentary 16-15. The percentage from beyond the arc and the difficulty of Barça in stemming the Madrid giants give Laso’s men the +6, maximum advantage, in the final period.
In the second quarter they immediately go under the guests who impact the match at 28-28 thanks to Kuric’s third triple of the evening. Out of time out whites Barça finds the new advantage again with an irrepressible Kuric. Calathes loses Heurtel who scores from beyond the arc triggering a question and answer between the two formations that remain stuck in the score for large sections of the fraction. Davies tries to stretch but captain Llull takes the chair: the Mahon airplane always proves to be fundamental in moments of difficulty for Madrid and brings his team back to just one possession at a disadvantage. You go to the locker room at 40-42 in a game that saw Tavares as protagonists under the boards on one side and Kuric (11 points) from a distance on the other.
The azulgrana continue their good moment and try to escape 40-49 after a 0-7 run by Sanli and Calathes. Laso does not stop the game, trusting his followers who reciprocate by returning to contact once again with Tavares and Llull who after two airball finds a fundamental 2/2 from 3. Sanli is in a moment of grace: he takes rebounds and transforms all the balls he touches into points. With 3 ‘from the end of the quarter, Barça is still + 9. The guests touch +10 to which Abalde responds from 3. Jokubaitis sets 54-63 at the last interval. 16 two-pointers for the azulgrana against only 6 for Madrid, which proves to have completely lost the rhythm of the match.
The defense of Jasikevicius’ men continues to put Madrid in difficulty, which cannot find its usual attacking fluidity. THE whites they never die and with 5 Williams-Goss points and the effective Abalde-Poirier axis, they find -3. The ending is once again point to point. To decide the match the coldness of Mirotic who lets himself be found ready in the moment nail. Kuric’s fourth triple (4/5 from distance) on the siren sets the score at the final 75-85. For the azulgrana the great performances of the guard (17) and the veteran Mirotic (13) were decisive. On the other hand, Yabusele’s performance was decidedly subdued for Madrid, not very incisive in contrast to what has been shown in recent months.
REAL MADRID: Williams-Goss 7, Randolph, Heurtel 4, R. Fernandez 3, Abalde 8, Hanga 3, Deck 4, Poirier 8, Tavares 12, Llull 11, Yabusele 7, Taylor 8. Coach: Laso.
BARÇA: Davies 8, Sanli 17, S. Martinez, Smits 3, Hayes, Laprovittola 9, Higgins 8, Kuric 17, Jokubaitis 6, Mirotic 13, Nnaji, Calathes 4. Coach: Jasikevicius.
