Barcelona hits it again in the Euroleague

After beating Fenerbahçe with high-flying basketball, showing that they have a team to beat the most painted team, Barça landed in Italy with renewed vigor. He smiled after times of hardship and trouble, also encouraged because he was facing the last classified in the Euroleague, who could not count on his stronghold Shengelia due to an ulcer; a Virtus that took refuge in Dusko Ivanovic in the race to get back on track. Everything seemed to be going smoothly for the Blaugrana. But it only seemed that way because Barça’s fragility on the rebound is a black hole, a terrible defect. Thus, it went from flying to being a jug team. One who does not know how to impose himself under the hoop; one that fails at key moments; one who hits it again in Europe, where he wins as much as he loses.

It was difficult for Barcelona to decipher Virtus from the beginning, clumsy in stringing together dizzying transitions, unable to gain comfortable shooting positions, clumsy in validating laboratory offensive mechanisms. Everyone tried it and only Vesely managed it with two baskets in four and a half minutes, two touch shots, plastic and effective. But the problem, already endemic, was the defensive rebound, since the Barça team gave extra balls to almost all rival attacks, a burden that was difficult to remedy. Peñarroya cursed on the bench, as if the demons were taking him away, worried about the puppeteer under the hoop. Vesely could not impose his law any more than Willy Hernangómez said his. Before finishing the quarter, the coach resorted to the third way, to the third center, to Fall, to the centimeters (2.21 meters). But not even with those. Zizic licked himself in the paint and Cordinier went into the kitchen to the Barça’s astonishment, only revitalized by Parker and his doll. A quarter to forget (23-15).

For once, Juan Núñez was out of step with the management and the second unit (Brizuela, Abrines, Parra…) was anonymous, Barça’s Virtus was indigestible. Only Fall responded from above. But little. And if there was no greater scarcity, it was due to Virtus’ repeated error from the periphery: 1 of 14 triples in the first half. Of course the story had a second part, which was the rebound and the basket in the bottle, also Barcelona’s blush. Zizic, with 8 offensive catches – the team counted 11 at the interval – exemplified the Barça’s ruin, once again made up by Parker’s aim, the free verse, and by Hernangómez who finally raised his finger to ask for a turn, to explain that He has plenty of basketball. 35-34 at half-time, a lesser evil for the culés.

Although Abrines finally put Barcelona ahead after the restart, Virtus was met with shots from the outside area, triples from Grazulis and Cordinier twice, as well as two dunks from Clyburn. Barça then recovered its old formula, the one that involves running and giving the balls to Punter and Parker, those who evoke the NBA game before the academic one. And that’s what, of course, Hernangómez signed up for, sharp again. A concoction that helped the Blaugrana to create suspense (65-65) before the epilogue.

It started with a your-mine, now you ahead and then me, exchange of crochet. From Cordinier and Diouf on the one hand; from Hernangómez -his best performance in the course- and from Anderson and his virulé baskets on the other. 74-75 with four minutes left. Cordinier, director of the game and absolute boss, insisted on spoiling the party, passes where no one expected him, firm baskets. But Barça resisted, now a alley-oop from Parker to Vesely, now a pair of chofs under Vesely’s basket, a basket from Parker… There was one minute left and Barça led by one. Then Barça allowed Cordinier, as Nunn (Panathinaikos), Obst (Bayern), Shorts (Paris) and Leday (Milano) did earlier this season, to express his best version. Added to that was an absurd loss from Punter and some naive steps from Brizuela. And a very good farewell to Barça that was gaining momentum, to the team that was believed that with a win it would be competitive again.