Barça progresses adequately against Monaco

Barça beat AS Monaco (86-71) this Wednesday in the third day of the Euroleague to show an increasingly attractive version of the new team under the command of Joan Peñarroya, second victory for the Catalans and at the cost of a ‘coconut’ last campaign.

The Palau is beginning to enjoy Kevin Punter (21 points), perhaps the most notable name of the signings along with the new coach. Peñarroya’s script promised Blaugrana fans and the former Burgos, Valencia and Baskonia player is already leaving his mark.

Barça, with five pieces to fit into this new project, put intensity on the hardwood without losing success to resolve in the third quarter a match that Monaco had won in the last three previous ones. Punter had his best game as a Barça player and was accompanied by a choral performance from the locals.

At the beginning of the last quarter, Palau enjoyed a lead of 20 points (74-54) and Monaco suffered its first defeat in a once again unpredictable Euroleague. Jabari Parker, Jan Vesley, Nicolás Laprovittola, Darío Brizuela and a Chimezie Metu who maintained concentration in the final loss of control, helped Barça make adequate progress in its objective of fighting for everything.

Those from Peñarroya started well, but at the beginning of the second quarter the script went in their favor. Motiejunas found the inside route that Barça had cut well until then and Monaco also leveled the battle for the rebound. Before the break, the locals showed that intensity with which they forced turnovers, became strong and scored in the transition (47-39).

Those from the Principality did not find Mike James but they did find Alpha Diallo and, in the physical battle, Barça overcame the Monegasques at the restart. The locals went into combustion at the end of the third quarter, with points from Laprovittola and Parker, with the score of the score that already ended the story at the beginning of the last quarter.

The match lost intensity, with some local relaxation but zero fang from a Monaco that did not rebel against its inferior role at the Palau. Those from Peñarroya thus took another step in the right direction in a week of double Euroleague ration, with a visit to the leader Estrella Roja on Friday. Sasa Obradovic’s men will try to get even at home against bottom team Virtus de Bologna.

TECHNICAL SHEET.

–RESULT: BARÇA, 86 – AS MÓNACO, 71. (47-39, at half-time).

–TEAMS.

BARÇA: Satoransky (1), Punter (21), Parker (16), Vesely (10) and Hernangómez (7) –starting quintet–; Núñez (2), Anderson (-), Abrines (-), Brizuela (9), Metu (7), Fall (-) and Laprovittola (13).

MONACO AS: Loyd (4), James (11), Blossomgame (7), Jaiteh (10) and Motiejunas (8) — the starting quintet –; Strazel (2), Okobo (13), Papagiannis (4), Diallo (12) and Brown (-).

–PARTIALS: 26-18, 21-21, 24-15, 15-17.

–REFEREES: Hordov, Panther and Kowalski. Diallo eliminated due to fouls.

–PAVILLION: Palau Blaugrana.