A 17-0 run in the second quarter took Barcelona ahead at the Palace of Peace and Friendship, where they suffered their worst away defeat in this century in the Euroleague. The team of Roger Grimau very inferior in rebounding (47-31) and denied from the perimeter (22% in triples), will play their ticket for the Final Four on Wednesday in the fifth game against Olympiacos. [Narracin and estadsticas (92-58)]
“The defeat could have happened, but the way it happened, no. It is not pleasant, it has not been a good day and as a coach I assume responsibility,” Grimau said in the press room. “We have not been able to match their physicality. They have taken us off the court on an offensive and defensive level,” he added, before reiterating that the way of losing had not “been good”, although the team must now “raise its head and go ahead”.
Shaq McKissic, author of 21 points and six rebounds, led the Greek champion’s offense, opening the aforementioned quarter. From 21-23 with which the first quarter had closed, the team of Georgios Bartzokas He went on to dominate with absolute impunity on both sides of painting. The cumulative score of 35-9 already cleared up any doubt about how the night would end.
Podero de Fall y Milutinov
Jabari Parker decisive in the third game with his free throws in the last second, was the only Bara player in double figures (10 points). Ricky Rubio he could only set the pace during the first minutes, while Willy Hernangmez I lived intimidated by the power of Moustapha Fall (12 points, five rebounds) and Nikola Milutinov (eight points, 11 rebounds).
According to Grimau, Nico Laprovittola who could only pitch four times in 16 minutes, has been suffering from a “viral process” that forced him to make a “great effort” to get on the court.
Upon his return after missing the first three games of the series due to illness, the captain Kostas Papanikolaou He scored three triples in the third quarter to definitively stop any attempt at a Barça comeback.