Barça basketball achieved a key victory against Partizan that places them in play-off positions. The blaugrana team now has a record of 16 wins and 13 losses, the same as three other teams, but they have a provisional advantage due to average.
Peñarroya's team faced the game with the return of Kevin Punter after a month. The absences were the recently operated Juan Núñez (he will be out for the rest of the season), Laprovittola, and Vesely. Both teams arrived with a 15-13 record in the Euroleague, which added even more relevance to the game.
Better Partizan at the Start
Peñarroya opted to form his starting five with Satoransky, Abrines, Parra, Parker, and Metu. However, the start would be for Partizan. The Serbian team, encouraged by many fans who filled the stands, came out with a strong 0-8 start.
Barça's first basket was a three-pointer by Abrines, and there came the first considerable lead on the scoreboard. Partizan went ahead by ten points (3-13) on the scoreboard. Peñarroya made the first rotations, bringing in Punter, Anderson, Brizuela, and Fall.
Three consecutive three-pointers by Kevin Punter, who didn't seem to have been out of action since the Copa del Rey, brought Barça back into the game. However, the blaugrana defense continued to be nonexistent (32 points conceded in the first quarter). Darío Brizuela closed the first ten minutes with a buzzer-beater three-pointer (25-32).
Barça's Best Version in the Second Quarter
The second quarter saw the first minutes for Willy Hernangómez. The Madrid center scored his only basket in the first play. Then came Kevin Punter's fourth three-pointer (30-32) and a zone defense proposed by Peñarroya.
Kevin Punter Completely Unleashed
This tactical variant rewarded Barça with their first lead in the game (37-36), after two consecutive alley-oops by Justin Anderson. Then came the fifth three-pointer from an unleashed Punter, forcing Obradovic to call a timeout. Dame Sarr entered the court for the first time, and Barça managed to close the first half with their maximum lead (54-41, +13).
A three-pointer by Satoransky set the maximum in the first action after the break (57-41, +17). Partizan managed to recover from this situation, as they didn't want to give up. The Serbians reacted and got within just 4 points (65-61).
The last minute of the third act was key. Partizan missed two three-pointers to tie the game, while Barça did score one, by Metu, in the subsequent attack. The battle reached the last 10 minutes with a +6 for Barça (73-67).
Hard-Fought Victory Until the End
The last quarter seemed to start with the hoops covered. It took 3 minutes for the first basket to be scored, by Satoransky. Then Partizan replied with a three-pointer and again two more minutes of inaccuracy.
Half of the last quarter had passed, and the partial score was 2-3. From there, both teams insisted on changing the dynamic and regained offensive fluidity. Carlik Jones scored under the basket and made it 75-72.
The last 2 minutes were reached with an 83-75 for Barça, after two consecutive baskets by Punter and Satoransky. A three-pointer by Carlik Jones put Partizan within 5, but two free throws by Punter sealed the blaugrana victory. In the end, a score of 87-80 and a very important victory for Peñarroya's team.
The next Euroleague match will be next week against Zalgiris, also at the Palau. It will be crucial to win at the blaugrana stronghold if the culé team wants to secure a spot in the Euroleague Play-Off.