While Real Madrid waits patiently for the Endesa League final after sentencing Baskonia on the fast track, Barça and Joventut continue to star in a beautiful semi-final, one of those that will remain in the memory. With the series tied and the water threatening their waterline, the azulgrana regained the court factor this Wednesday by winning in Badalona in a very hot and even derby despite never being behind on the scoreboard.
Barça gave the feeling of having learned the lesson from the start and came out very intense as expected from a champion almost cornered. The Olímpic had dressed up, an enviable atmosphere that was experienced in Badalona, ??but it was difficult for Penya to enter the game, throwing with haste, perhaps a little goaded by nerves after having brought a whole Barça to Earth. A scenario that staged 0-6 as the one that started the duel.
The Barça team seemed comfortable despite the fact that Jasikevicius was worried on the wing, very protesting, and received a technical warning. Perhaps it was a gesture towards the gallery to take pressure off their players, who were hitting the scoreboard little by little. Laprovittola’s irruption in the final stretch of the first quarter with two three-point actions gave Barça the first maximum (9-19).
Duran knew how to clarify the ideas of his men and calm their nerves, then appearing a version more similar to the Joventut of the second game. Pau Ribas began to score easily but it was the elongated figure of Ante Tomic that threatened Barça again. The Croatian has definitely taken the measure of the pivots of his former team. The azulgrana defense was failing and the giant from Dubrovnik cut back to 25-28 in the blink of an eye. La Penya dreamed that the irregular face of Barça, usual this season, would show up again in Badalona but two triples by Mirotic woke him up and with Higgins later in charge, the Barça team recovered the maximum to go to the locker room.
The third act was very similar to the second, with an extra motivated Joventut trying to regain control of the scoreboard without turning it over. Willis dressed up as a star to score 11 points in those ten minutes and keep his team alive. Again Tomic cut back until 45-48 (minute 24) but the black-and-green reaction always died on the edge. A basket by Higgins here, a three-pointer by Laprovittola there, Barça managed not to lose control of the match and turn off Joventut’s attacks, which seemed increasingly intense. On the track and in the stands.
The game, beautiful from start to finish, came full of life to the last quarter (56-61). In addition, Barça’s inside game was very full of fouls and La Penya was very aware. Although the visitors equaled their maximum on two occasions, with Calathes and Mirotic trying to set the pace, there was no way to knock down a resilient Joventut like never before, who did not seem willing to let a historic opportunity slip away. The black-and-whites persisted like never before but they never managed to break the three-point deficit -74-77 with one minute to go was their last attempt- and a triple by Calathes signed the Barça victory. This Friday, luckily, there will be more. It will be a match ball for Barça.
77. Joventut Badalona (14 22 20 21): Feliz (2), Ribas (10), Parra (4), Willis (17), Birgander (2) -initial team-, Busquets (0), Ventura (0), Vives (13), Bassas (8) and Tomic (21).
83. Barça (23 23 15 22): Calathes (5), Higgins (13), Hayes-Davis (9), Mirotic (18), Davies (9) -initial team-, Sanli (4), Martínez (3) , Smits (4), Laprovittola (10), Abrines (0) and Kuric (8).
Referees: Pérez Pérez, Caballero and Serrano. They eliminated Sanli for five personal fouls (min. 35)
Incidents: third match of the Endesa Liga semi-final play-off played at the Palau Olímpic in Badalona in front of 10,323 spectators.
