Euroleague working day 10
Ball to Laprovittola and play. That was Barça’s recipe against Maccabi and that was enough to sign a hard-fought victory, solid because he became big when he seemed smaller.
It turns out that a blow to the lower back left Vesely in the rebound and Barça without centimeters or physique to govern in the bottle, hauja for a Maccabi that accumulates muscle and stems under the hoop, comfortable chaining baskets to the kitchen. Brown as dealer; Nebo as protagonist. Once the defect was understood, Barça made an effort to try to cut off the inside game with help, however unable to turn off the tap because Cohen stood out from the perimeter. Thus, Maccabi scored 30 points at the close of the event (9 of 9 in shots of two) which could well have been more than having the right wrist from the free throws. Although for the hand, that of Laprovittola, the little giant of Barça occasionally helped by Willy Hernangómez, who gives his strength, and by Nnaji, who always brings the ladder from home (2.11 meters).
“More intensity!”, they demanded from the Barça bench, words echoed in the Aleksandar Nikolic Hall, a pavilion in Belgrade because the Euroleague forces the Israeli club to play at home away from home due to the war situation with Gaza, a situation that also excludes the presence of the public. And that, intensity, Grimau included when giving a reel to Paulí, Brizuela and Parra, at the point Maccabi became less of a team and more of a group of soloists, with Brown’s lyrics and his indecipherable basketball, also with Baldwin’s slaloms to the net . But Willy continued his efforts to emphasize himself as the strongest under the basket, while Abrines asked for his turn as a sniper. The attacks prevailed over the defense, 51-51 at halftime. The best was missing Lapro.
It happened that Barça returned to the paint in combustion, skilled at forcing losses from the rival and athletic with Parker’s feet-springs and Nnaji’s hammer-arms. 10 points from a run and a Maccabi reduced by half, as comfortable in attacking as it was indifferent in defense. It happens, in any case, that this Barça does not impose its law but rather goes in spurts, and the wind does not always blow in favor. Less with Willy and Nnaji with four personnel before finishing the third chapter (68-70), without centers at the end, now with Parra and Da Silva as an inside couple.
But in bad weather, good Laprovittola, talent at the service of the team, great leader. So he responded to Colson and Baldwin’s triples, also to Brown’s inspiration. And with 12 seconds left, the Argentine forced three free throws… But he only made one—the only mistake in the duel—and Brown missed the last shot. So Barça became strong in the face of adversity and Laprovittola became great against giants.
Madrid defeats Alba; Valencia falls in Greece
Madrid had it easier in an unequal duel, the European leader against the bottom team, an Alba that could not say its thing against the white team (99-75), driven by a superlative Hezonja (26 points). It was worse for Valencia, who fell without almost a peep – with the exception of Ojeleye (16 points) – against Panathinaikos (90-73), barren against Mitoglou and Lessort.
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