Barça continues to take small steps forward but, for the moment, cannot find a regularity in the game that guarantees success at the end of the road. He drags too many gaps. He ended the double date of the week in the Euroleague with two wins, even more agonizing this Thursday against Bayern than Tuesday against Maccabi, both tied only in the final stretch. The game is reproachable, not the attitude, always a fighter. They are still victories after all, which at this time of the course undoubtedly help to continue building.
The night began already crooked for Bayern, who was left at the last moment even without a coach, due to family problems of the unmistakable Andrea Trinchieri. Not by far his only loss, since he has many injury problems and does not have men like Lucic, Obst or Hunter, he is also low at the last minute. Despite everything, he stood up to an entire Barça team at the Palau with a commendable survival exercise led by his second in command, Vertemati. The night had presented itself as an unbeatable opportunity for Barça to meet again with its best version, which has been spending too much time in the closet lately, but not even the bleak panorama that devastated Bayern was enough incentive to hit the table.
Although they began dominating the score from the first basket, Jasikevicius’s team was not comfortable at any time. Sanli’s triples hurt the Bavarians but Mirotic, to start with, still couldn’t find his place and Barça noticed it. Barca’s first attempt to break the game came in the second quarter, when a three-pointer from Abrines widened the gap to 31-22 (minute 17). But Bayern, with a very mobile Rubit and the points of the surprising Wimberg, responded to the affront and managed to get into the locker room with forces practically equal (34-33). The Catalans lacked the long-awaited continuity again.
The first action of the second half was less than promising for Barça’s interests, Weiler-Babb scored a three-pointer that gave the Munich team their first advantage of the night. The third act became a concert of nonsense, at least the game showed off and celebrated each basket as if it had cost an exhausting effort. Satoransky was one of the few who seemed to have clear ideas but there was no way to send a Bayern that was as diminished as it was combative to the canvas. Barça finally came out determined in the last ten minutes to end the uncertainty and five good minutes helped them stretch to 63-51 but the Bavarian resilience drew a 0-9 to extend the emotion. A basket by Higgins raised the score to 72-70, which would be final, although Bayern had one last possession to win. Jaramaz’s three-pointer collided with the hoop and the Palau could breathe easy.
72. Barça (21 13 17 21): Satoransky (5), Laprovittola (5), Kalinic (4), Mirotic (12), Sanli (10) -initial team-, Da Silva (3), Vesely (10), Abrines (7), Higgins (9) and Jokubaitis (7).
70. Bayern Munich (14 19 14 23): Weiler-Babb (15), Winston (4), Bonga (2), Rubit (10), Gillespie (3) -equipo inicial-, Walden (9), Seeley (2) ), Giffey (4), Jaramaz (12), Zipser (-) and Wimberg (9).
Árbitros: Ilija Belosevic (SER), Emin Mogulkoc (ENG) y Mario Majkic (ESL). sin
Incidents: match of the twenty-third day of the Euroleague played at the Palau Blaugrana in Barcelona before 5,668 spectators.
