Euroleague day 12
Virtus BolognaBarça
Barcelona appeared in Bologna with suspicion because it was a duel in the elite, the second in the Euroleague visited the third placed, a Virtus that is being the revelation of the tournament, a team invigorated since Luca Banchi replaced Sergio Scariolo on the bench, all time you are multiplying the performance of your players. None like that of Georgian power forward Tornike Shengelia, Euroleague MVP so far. But the duel, the lights and the success of the night was for Lundberg, who put in everything he threw and led to a comeback that made a Barcelona blush that was left in its bones, stunned because it wasted a 16-point lead.
Having warned the Barça team of Shengelia’s reliability, the Barça coach decided that Da Silva would be his starting shadow, well helped by Vesely’s coverage. Zap work that initially blurred the Georgian and required the Virtus to reformulate, capable in any case of circulating the ball at the speed of light, of also defining itself with outside shots. Especially Hackett and Lundberg. It happened, however, that Barcelona, excellent in the defensive exercise, closed the bottle very well and prevented the tall Virtus men from appearing under the post, in the same way that there was no wrist or skill to express themselves with the half-time shots. distance. A punishment that Barça extended with its searing attack, inside and out, under the ring and from the periphery. Thus, while Kalinic, Laprovittola and the sniper Abrines penalized with their three-pointers, Vesely and a dictatorial Hernangómez imposed their law in the low post, also to excel in the rebounds on the two baskets. An ode to good basketball that decomposed the rival and Shengelia, fighting with the Barça centers and with their own net, to the point that he was sometimes seen with a regretful step and his head bowed, denying and between reproaches. The best in the Euroleague could not say a word against a Barça that seemed more team than ever, solid in defense and cheerful in attack, to the point that they had a 16-point advantage (20-36), a recital that ended at the intermission with an expressive 33-45. But Shengelia has basketball and character, so does Lundberg.
It happens that this Barça, as also happened in the imperfect tense of Jasikevicius on the bench, suffers to maintain the pace and rhythm, worrying disconnections like the one that choked him in the third chapter. It was not enough for him to take refuge in Willy, foreman of the bottle, and in Darío Brizuela who is getting the hang of Barça and Europe. More than anything because Shengelia finally said hers, under the rim or with sparkling assists, in addition to baskets that boosted the spirit of the team and the pavilion, like the one she achieved with a tap on the horn to leave the match at five points. difference in the absence of the epilogue, or that triple that served to put it in a draw (61-61).
Grimau cursed on the Barça bench, upset because what his team had done so well up to that point was so bad and so difficult for him after a staggering mistake. He defended horribly, the rebounds were conspicuous by their absence and his wrists were out of tune without remission. And what seemed impossible became reality, as Virtus took the lead against a Barça that was shivering in attacks, with butter hands. Lundberg made nonsense of basket after basket (21 points), a springboard to lead 68-63. Vesely and Kalinic tried to get back into the game, but Lundberg repeatedly explained the opposite, with triples that silenced any attempt at a reaction. Thus, with half a minute remaining he rose above Vesely, scored a new triple and resolved the contest to underline to Barça that his project, reduced in budget – up to 20% reduced the team’s salary bill – is enough to compete, but hardly to dream of Europe, with that icing on the cake that it has only achieved twice in its history, in 2003 with Bodiroga at the controls and in 2010 with Navarro as stiletto.
Howard drives Baskonia over the horn
Baskonia did better, increasingly inspired and believing with the new era of Ivanovic on the bench, firm in the ACB and very successful in the Euroleague. The best example was against the powerful Turkish Fenerbahçe, who led by two with seven seconds remaining in the match. But Howard, excellent on the night (28 points), scored a triple for Baskonia to celebrate a new victory (80-79). Success shared by Valencia, capable of beating Red Star at home (85-81) thanks, above all, to the effectiveness of Brandon Davies (21 points).
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2023-12-06 22:04:06
#Barça #breaks #Bologna #Basketball #Sports
