The visitors win by six points (81-87) and force Bara to win at least one game in Badalona
The veteran and the quality of Ante Tomic (24 points, PIR of 22) were ultimately decisive for Joventut to break a streak of 11 consecutive losses at the Palau. And he did it with a 81-87 that now forces Bara to win at least one game in Badalona so as not to chain what will be another failure after the defeat in the semifinals of the Euroleague against Real Madrid: falling out of the final playoff of the ACB. La Penya was much better than the Barça team and only the inexperience of some of its players and a final arrest of those of Jasikeviciustremendously weak defensively, ended up making up a score in which the black-and-green team managed to amass a maximum advantage of 15 points.
If the first game of the series saw a somewhat heavier first quarter and a more hectic second, this time just the opposite happened. And in what way. Bara and Joventut signed a fantastic exchange of blows in the first ten minutes that ended with a minimal victory for La Penya (26-27), after the referees corrected a Barcelona shot previously awarded as a triple. The green-and-black team clung to a great start from Tomic and Feliz and the replacement that Marc Ribas gave them in the final moments of the period to make their intentions very clear. On the Barça side, meanwhile, Exum, especially Sanli and Mirotic They gave a timely response.
In the second quarter, meanwhile, one and the other lowered the piston. And, although Bara managed to amass a maximum advantage of seven points, Joventut ended up taking the cat to the water again. Thanks, above all, to the success in the triples of Ferran Bassas and a last basket of Simon Birgander that sent the game to rest with a 40-42 for a Penya that, unlike what happened last Friday, did not seem inclined to fall apart again like a sugar cube before the Barcelona push. Absolutely. In fact, he showed it with a third quarter in which he was relentless in defense and recovered a great part of the success of the first period. Clinging in this case to the success, above all, of Joel Parra and Simon Birgander and an absolutely implacable defense, managed to amass a maximum advantage of 13 points with a run of 6-17 that would finally become 12 to stand in the last quarter (53-65).
The azulgrana, aware of their poor performance in the third period, tried to close the gap and, after Joventut managed to leave by 15 points in the light. And they succeeded, but only partially. As much as they dropped from that psychological distance of 10 points, with a good offensive rush in which he shone, above all, Nigel Hayes, La Penya, despite some hesitation, ended up managing to maintain his advantage practically until the final moments of the duel. It was precisely there that Tomic’s experience would emerge to calm down his team and allow them to finally seal a more than deserved 81-87 victory at the Palau Blaugrana. The worst for the black-and-green, in this case, was the final injury of Andrew Happy in the left ankle, which forced him to leave the track supported by two teammates and which makes his presence in the third duel of the series, next Wednesday, more than doubtful at first.
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