A partial of 27-4 for the Barcelona in the last six minutes of the game they ended the resistance of the Milan at the Palau Blaugrana, where the leader of the Euroleague added a triumph87-71) of prestige against a rival who in the last quarter was blocked before the defensive wall of the Barcelona team.
After the defeat against Olympiacos, Sarunas Jasikevicius’s team regained their defensive solidarity, especially in the fourth quarter, when he stopped former Blue Malcolm Delaney (23 points), while Calathes (14 assists) found Mirotic (19 points and 10 rebounds), Higgins (16) and Brandon Davies (21)
And that Barça went from more to less in the first half. Unlike the last European defeat, he remembered his best version in the first quarter that allowed him to complete a first set of 11-0 (min.3).
The Italian team did not enter the triples, their best weapon, and only the versatile Kyle Hines appeared to put land in the middle with eight points in the first quarter.
Despite this, Barcelona, led by Brandon Davies and Kuric’s triples, remained firm and closed the first ten minutes with a comfortable lead (23-15).
The pace of the match changed from the moment the Italians scored easily from the 6.75 meter line. A 0-9 run tied the game at 29 five minutes to break.
With the match even, Barcelona, very imprecise in attack with nine losses in the first twenty minutes, accepted the exchange of blows.
Mirotic took over from Davies, but the rhythm of the game was of the visiting team. In addition, it was difficult for the locals to close the rebound, allowing second options for Delaney and Shields from the perimeter. The first half was closed with a triple on Micov’s horn that left a 16-28 partial in the second act and placed the 29-43 favorable to Milan at rest.
In the resumption, Barça improved its intensity, but without the forcefulness of the first quarter. The Armani continued with his game plan and bet everything on the imbalance from the perimeter.
Fewer triples entered, but the Catalan team, with Mirotic leading the attack, did not take advantage of it to enjoy advantages of more than three points (58-55, min.28).
It seemed that Barça could face the last ten minutes with a minimal advantage, but those of Ettore Messina moved the ball with sense to add easy points from the hands of Datome, Shields and Tarczewski, and leave 60-61 at the end of the third act (60-61).
The pace of the duel was slow in the first four minutes of the last act, at which point Milan, faced with multiple losses from Barcelona, chained a 0-6 run (60-67, min.34) that forced Jasikevicius to stop the match.
The Lithuanian coach changed the course. His team recovered its best defensive version, took Delaney off the court, and Calathes began to distribute assists to Mirotic and Higgins, author of two triples that boosted Barcelona.
With everything decided, the leader took advantage of the last minute to close a victory with solvency more complicated than the scoreboard finally said.
87 – Barcelona (23+16+21+27): Calathes (5), Higgins (16), Abrines (7), Mirotic (19), Oriola (4) -starting five-, Davies (21), Hanga (5), Bolmaro (-), Smits (4), Heurtel (-), Martínez (-) and Kuric (6)
71 – AX Armani Exchange Milan (15 + 28 + 18 + 10): Punter (6), Delaney (23), Micov (11), Leday (-), Tarczewski (3) -starting five-, Moraschini (-), Roll (-), Shields (12), Brooks (4), Hines (10) and Datome (2).
Referees: Robert Lottermoser, Olegs Latisevs and Saso Petek. Without eliminated.
Incidents: Match of the thirteenth day of the Euroleague played at the Palau Blaugrana without fans.
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