At first it seemed like a little game between brothers, when the eldest is tough on the little one so that he learns his lesson, so that he doesn’t think of challenging him again, so that it is clear to him who sets the rules. Fenerbahçe destroyed Barcelona, an anthological beating of shame. Until Brizuela, already in the third act, said enough, also until the team understood that five people play basketball and that if they don’t go to one there is no tutia. The reaction arrived on time but the wear and tear was tremendous, as well as the management of emotions, as Barça reached the epilogue without energy, again a disconnection, again the jug version. Triumph for Fenerbahçe and another setback for the Blaugrana in a season that is the Dragon Kahn; victory also of Sarunas Jasikevicius, what’s new old man, who served the revenge with the ball in his hands.
FENERBAHÇE, 88 – BARCELONA, 74
Fenerbahce: Calathes (13), Dorsey (4), Hayes-Davis (12), Pierre (3) and Motley (9) -starting quintet-; Wilbekin (18), Sanli (2), Papagiannis (0), Biberovic (12), Noua (2) and Guduric (13).
Barcelona: Satoransky (9), Laprovittola (11), Kalinic (5), Parker (4) and Vesely (4) -starting quintet-; Rubio (8), Jokubaitis (0), Brizuela (18), Abrines (4), Hernangómez (9), Nnaji (0) and Da Silva (2).
Partials: 23-11; 23-14; 16-32; 26-17.
Referees: M. Boltauzer (Eslo), J. Bissang (Fra) and L. Kardum (Cro). No eliminations
Ulker Sports Arena. About 11,000 spectators.
It was the first time that Jasikevicius and Barça saw each other after the club did not renew him this summer due to economic and sporting disagreements, since the coach wanted to act as technical secretary, to have more than just a say in the configuration of Template. The coach was not in the first leg, so Fenerbahçe with Itoudis on the bench, relieved by Saras to straighten the team’s rhythm, as it once again aspires to the Final Four, capable of beating Madrid a few weeks ago in the WiZink and of twisting Valencia from the line of three, a historical record of successes in the Euroleague with 24. Precisely, the Turkish team started the match as the last one finished; Dorsey rose and chof, a goal from the perimeter like the one that followed from Pierre, although the referees later pointed out that he had stepped on the line, which was only worth two. But that was already much more than Barcelona could celebrate, which was stuck without remission against a team very much to Jasikevicius’ taste, electric and extremely intense in defense, well exemplified by Calathes, a white-collar thief, the best in EuroLeague steals (435), one more than Dimitris Diamantidis, who made fame and fortune at Panathinaikos.
But Calathes, who did not catch on at Barça – with Saras on the bench and with whom he now seems to get along wonderfully – is much more than a wallet-poor, as he distributes assists like no one else because he sees what others do not. Under his direction, accompanied by the doll of Dorsey, Hayes-Davies and Guduric – a festival again from the periphery -, Fenerbahçe gave a slap to the Barça team, who did not know what to do with the ball in their hands, stuck in the shot, an expressive 23-11 after the first act. The Turkish glory and the Barça penalty, which added 1 of 7 shots from three in the period. The story was explained because one team ran and the other gave their all, because Fenerbahçe slapped and Barça did nothing more than slap their backs, limp players with atrophied hands, a succession of defensive weaknesses and errors in shooting, a morrocotudo guirigay, a grotesque, without points on the counterattack, also a toy for rivals even though Brizuela assumed the role of rebel. Nothing to do with what was happening in the opposite ring, where Biberovic and Wilbekin joined the three-man festival, show must go on, ridiculous 46-25 at intermission.
Stung by the image offered, Barça returned to the court with more energy, rotations-punishments in the quintet and Brizuela as a solution, unique in seeing the big ring, in twisting the rival’s sufficiency. The team also tried to get Hernangómez to tickle Sanli and Motley under the rim, and to get Ricky Rubio to give rhythm and diligence to the circulation. And that was enough for the team to regain color and confidence, as well as the march because they combusted, especially with Laprovittola who understood the reprimand from the bench, who added three consecutive triples to close the event with only five points, resurrection at the foot of the track (62-57). The silence of Ulker Sports Arena explained the Turkish confusion. But the final chapter remained.
It turns out that the nerves played a trick on Kalinic, who asked for a review in a play that was unsportsmanlike and the pavilion came to a boil, a good encouragement for Fenerbahçe, who took flight again, who found the sniper Wilbekin once again and that became giant from Biberovic’s wrist. And what was happening was over, because Barça only played one quarter and that was not enough to break down the European rivals. Except for a team led by Jasikevicius, who left with a smile on his mouth.
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