BarcelonaA Barça vintage that stopped the rotations and boosted the defense beat Olympiakos at the Palau Blaugrana (98-85). The Culer team took advantage of a brilliant third quarter in which they scored 30 points to take their eighth win in the last nine games. The board of Xavi Pascual, a coach who specializes in making the most of the resources he has, worked on a night in which Will Cluburn made a difference. The wing added 28 points with seven triples. Local effectiveness from the 6.75 meter line was key.
For the first time in a long time, the Culer fans did not face the game with fear against an opponent against whom they had lost the last four precedents. Proud of their team’s improvement, the fans created a very powerful atmosphere at the Palau Blaugrana. The match, which had the presence of Joan Laporta in the box office, proved the proposal of Xavi Pascual, who curses every basket received as if his team received a goal.
Barça took advantage of the outside aim of their shooters, who scored four of the first five three-pointers they attempted, to start the game securing the initiative on the scoreboard (14-6). Olympiakos used Evan Fournier’s lead to regain ground. Will Clyburn’s 11 points in 10 minutes were not enough to close the first quarter with a lead (21-22).
The second quarter was an exchange of blows between two teams that know very well both the virtues and the flaws of their opponent. More comfortable playing in static attack than running, both teams tried to minimize their mistakes. Barça was able to reach the break with a three-point lead (42-39).
Without substitutions
Pascual reduced the turnovers to the extreme (no change in 7:33 minutes of play) and the strategy worked for him. Barça took advantage of a moment of collective frustration to build a difference of 18 points (67-49). The quintet of Sato, Punter, Clyburn, Shengelia and Vesely proved to have points in their hands against an Olympiakos without the success of other days. The local defense suffocated him. The gap with which the Catalan team reached the last ten minutes was important (72-56).
With the job done, Barça was able to contain Olympiakos’ onslaughts during a final period in which the Greek team looked, without continuity, for a comeback. Joel Parra suffered a strong blow to the nose that made him bleed profusely.
