Barça basketball seeks to straighten its course this season, in this case in the European competition. The team led by Joan Peñarroya defeated Maccabi comfortably yesterday and secured a soothing victory, their fourteenth in the Euroleague. Without time to celebrate, the blaugranas are already thinking about their next commitment, also at the Palau, against Olympiacos, the competition leader.
Competitive first half
Despite controlling the scoreboard from the start, Barça saw Maccabi compete in the early minutes. The Israeli team showed a good offensive version in the first quarter. On the blaugrana side, Jabari led the scoring from the start, with three consecutive three-pointers.
Rokas Jokubaitis, who returned to the Palau after his departure in the summer, kept Maccabi in the game during the first half. Willy Hernangómez entered in the first rotation, giving Fall a rest, breaking the trend that had been happening previously. The Madrid native finished the game as the most valued player with 14 points and a valuation of 23.
An offensive blackout by the visiting team allowed Barça to achieve its first considerable advantages on the scoreboard. Peñarroya's team took control of the scoreboard, reaching halftime ahead. The score was 42-36 at halftime.
Maccabi missing in action
After the break, Barça came out determined to dominate the pace of the game and try to secure the victory as soon as possible. For this, Kevin Punter emerged, who ended up being the top scorer of the match. The American finished with 28 points, leading the blaugrana offense.
A good start to the last quarter allowed Barça to seal the game and definitively kill Maccabi. There was even playing time for Joel Parra and Dame Sarr, who hadn't previously entered the court. In the end, a score of 100-71 and a very comfortable victory for the locals.
Now it remains to be seen if the team can continue this triumph in their upcoming commitments. The most immediate one is very demanding, as tomorrow Olympiacos, the competition leader, visits the Palau. Beyond the morale, a victory would be very important in a very tight classification.