Barça clearly dominated the derby at the Palau against Joventut (87-71) in a duel where the azulgranas showed the great moment that the team is experiencing embodied in the Czech, Tomas Satoransky, who once again led the team, with 19 points and 5 assists.
An aggressive Barça, who gave no option to a Joventut who tried to be very physical but ended up engulfed by the good Barça moment. The Palau maintains its record of 12 consecutive victories in the Endesa League immaculate.
The duel started with a lot of rhythm, where Joventut feel comfortable and dominated the score at the start (2-6)although Barça, matching that intensity and speed, turned it around with triple by Satoransky (10-6) who was already taking the blaugrana handle.
Barça was looking for long distance shooting options, although the errors multiplied allowing Joventut to continue close (10-8). A triple by Sanli, as well as a spectacular action by Mirotic, scoring from behind with one hand plus extra shot, gave Barça an income of 10 (18-8).
Duran stopped the match and paid dividends to the visitors as a 0-5 run With a basket from Ribas and a three-pointer from Feliz, it allowed the green-and-blacks to stay close to Barça at the end of the first quarter (18-13). Bad percentages in the triple for Saras’ men (3 of 14) but they dominated the fourth.
Youth, incisive in defense
The Barcelona coach moved the bench, although it was not a good start. A more incisive Joventut in defense, cut to four after Parra’s triple (22-18) and the game started again with two actions by Feliz and Tomic (22-22). The intensity of Duran’s painting had given effect.
Saras decided to return to Laprovittola because playing without him or Satoransky there was no fluidity in the game. And after a few minutes of some equality, it was the Barça once again took the initiative with triples by Tobey and Sanli – the best at halftime with 11 – that did damage (35-26).
Barça felt comfortable in those final minutes of the fourth, matching the physical level of La Penyawith Satoransky posting and the break was reached with Barca dominance, but nothing was decided (39-30).
At the restart, Barça managed to maintain control with a tense Barça, focused on defense and patient to find the best pass inside to Mirotic or Satoransky (48-38). A triple by Mirotic, which appeared from long distance, gave Barça the maximum (51-38). The Catalans felt comfortable with Vesely also as the protagonist and a triple from the Czech point guard with the time limit increased the maximum to 14 (58-44).
The Barça wants to break the party
Joventut began to show signs of fatigue, and Satoransky continued to do damage in three-pointers to reach 15 (61-46). The question is whether La Penya was close to throwing in the towel. Tobey extended the lead to 17 (63-46) and Jan Vesely, to 18 (65-47). The green and black were wearing out their forces protesting the fouls, perhaps a little impotent from the blaugrana dominance at the end of the quarter (67-51).
The green-black frustration was personalized by Carles Duran, who received a technique for protesting with Barça’s maximum (70-51), although the referees compensated Vesely with another, with a Barça unleashed and wanting to win by more points.
With the game on track for Barça, fIt was the referees who took center stage, with an unsportsmanlike foul on Tobey, which Joventut took advantage of to get within 12 (72-60) after Guy’s triple. But Barça reacted with three-pointers from Sanli and Kalinic, and ended the battle with a Joventut delivered three minutes from time and with all the substitutes on court.
