Laprovittola, ahead of Baldwin, during the meeting in Israel.ABIR SULTAN (EFE)
“Sarunas Jasikevicius!” shouted the Menora Miytachim Arena announcer before giving way to the presentation of the Maccabi Tel Aviv players. And the whole stadium gave him a loud and grateful ovation as the current Barcelona manager defended the Israel shirt (2004 and 2005) to declare himself Euroleague champions for two years in a row. But that was the only candy for the fans, hot as hell, a pressure cooker that had passed Barça in his last five visits. A curse that argued however, defeating Laprovittola, a magnificent golden wrist that propels the team to the top spots in the Euroleague.
As soon as the duel began, Barcelona understood that it would not be easy at all in the bottle and in the fight for height, as a tackle from Tobey was ignored by a jump from Poythress as fierce as it was powerful, a stopper wounding her and Pride get rid of the hiccups And although Tobey bounced back in the next game – confirmed by a great assist from Kalinic – the Azulgrana team devoted themselves to bombing from the perimeter, shooting threes that were as accurate as they were damaging as they scored five out of seven managed. None like Laprovittola, who has signed three out of three, plus one by Satoransky and one by Tobey. But even with the Feast of Three, Barcelona couldn’t crack a Maccabi spurred on by Lorenzo Brown’s waist and Wade Baldwin’s hand, players who proved very difficult to tie. Until Tobey equalized with another hat for the video store, with a timed shot and the ball when Nebo was already stroking the basket. A good vitamin for the azulgrana that caused the rival’s nerves, punished by free throws. But Maccabi knew how to suffer without dying, was only disheveled after the first quarter (20-23) and surprisingly took refuge in Dibartolomeo’s long shots.
Higgins tried unsuccessfully to provide continuity to the Barça inspiration that had been so successful in the final stages but upset in Israel from the start. And without the lighting in the shot – beyond a dose of Abrines, but with an expressive five out of three in the second quarter – Maccabi explained that to beat him you not only have to burn the net of the opponent’s basket, you have to man know how to defend themselves. And that Barcelona resisted, almost always tepid and without bad drool or intensity at critical moments, to the point where the Israelis took the lead (27-26). Dead time for Jasikevicius and anger that makes you lower your eyes and shake your knees, inciting Laprovittola to stress again at three. Although this wasn’t enough to destabilize Brown, who craved the ball and the lead tearing Barça apart with his slaloms and shots of honey, he ended with a shot over Colson’s buzzer to put the break ahead (43′). -40). . “We did a good job on transitions and rebounds, but we were terrible in one-on-one defense,” concluded Jasikevicius.
But Barça’s problems in the defensive phase were not over yet, underscored by Sanli’s fourth foul early in the third quarter, fewer centimeters and less muscle for the colour. Saras angry, punished with a technique; but food for a Laprovittola who continued his feast from the line of three, a sniper chasing a wound difficult for Maccabi to heal. Kattash, the Israel team’s coach, proved this with another technical foul. And joy for Barcelona (61-62) to play just one quarter. Then neither the roar of the Menora Miytachim Arena, nor Brown’s class, nor Baldwin’s finesse could beat Barça, correcting the man in defense and causing the rival’s forced throws, rush and nervousness. At the opposite end, Higgins – who scored in time for the game with a final quarter – scored again from three, the highlight of long-range shots (13 of 31 for the Azulgrana). Satoransky and Tobey helped and it was celebrated by Laprovittola, who kept the side going through difficult moments and broke Maccabi’s resistance to allow Barça to breathe air in Europe.
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