“It simply came to our notice then. We have not been fresh in our decisions, but I am happy because we have a very complicated schedule and the team has secured the victory “, said Sarunas Jasikevicius. Nikola Mirotic, who scored 18 points in 19 minutes, and Nigel Hayes-Davis, who scored 14 points, were the best players on the Catalan team. The Lithuanian coach, who was replaced by Nick Calathes, Cory Higgins and Àlex Abrines, made his Dante Exum debut in the Endesa League. The Australian escort, a player who does not need to have the ball in his hands to bring positive things, started the game as a starter.
After an even first quarter (15-14), Barça tried to seize the pace of the game by increasing their defensive level. The Barça team hampered the attacks of a rival who could only score 12 points during a second period in which the visitors’ income grew to nine points (22-31). Between the two sets they only scored two of the 19 triples they tried during the first half (27-33).
Barça took advantage of their dominance in the rebound and the lack of local aim to dominate the game during a second half in which the difference reached 18 points against a rival who suffered his second consecutive defeat in the Endesa League . “We weren’t successful in the outside shot and, when that happens to us, it’s very difficult for us to compete against teams as complete as Barça,” said Txus Vidorreta. Jasikevicius was able to give rest to some of the players who accumulate the most minutes and the Barça team closed a complicated match without any frights in a stretch of the busy schedule of the most demanding commitments.
