The great performance of Nikola Mirotic (24 points, with 4 triples, 22 valuation), especially in the final quarter, allowed Barça to add the victory on the Anadolu EFES court (64-74), in a match dominated by Svetislav's Pesic and in which they only suffered during the third quarter. [Narration and statistics]

The Catalans, who came to dominate by 16 points, gave a partial 20-12 and faced the final quarter with only three points ahead (46-49), but Mirotic signed a sublime performance to give victory to his team.

The Turks started dominating, but when Barca closed the rebound under his hoop, the sign of the game changed. Until then, those of Ergin Ataman dominated the game situations, in a game with significant losses by both teams.

The first advantages were for the Turks with a splendid Alec Peters, who sustained the offensive production of their own. The offensive rebounds, with Dunston, allowed EFES extra balls and his team dominated minimally (12-10) four minutes to the end of the first quarter.

But the entrance of Malcolm Delaney as a base, a position that Adam Hanga had occupied until then, turned the situation around and with a partial 2-9 until the end of the first quarter and the appearance of Nicola Mirotic allowed Barça to leave at the first break five points up (14-19).

Barca closed his rebound, defended much better and the Turks were not fluent. Two triples (Delaney and Oriola) gave him nine points of difference for the Catalans (16-25) and only Tibor Pleiss offered resistance on the local side. Brandon Davies, in the final stretch of the second quarter, was decisive and his team achieved the maximum difference on the scoreboard (24-37), only reduced with a final Micic basket before the break (26-37).

The advantage of the Catalan team grew until 26-42 at the start of the third quarter. Then it was time for Micic, lethargic until then, and that gave momentum to his team, which began to believe in victory.

The Efes reaction

Barça seemed to have enough with Mirotic (9 points in a row), but EFES, with a Peters who joined the party, more defensive energy and more rebound control, lowered the rent until 46-49, after a series of hits from triple and a partial 9-0, at the worst moment of Pesic.

So the Catalans lost all their advantage after giving up a partial (20-12) and considered a very even scenario in the last ten minutes, after letting thirteen of the sixteen points that had had an advantage escape.

But at the start, a basket of Delaney, a triple of Oriola and a double of Tomic put ground in the middle (46-56) and the Turkish team no longer re-entered the game.

Tomic and Davies appeared in the painting, Delaney in the direction and especially Mirotic, who was splendid in the shot. In the end, Barça took the first victory in its Euroleague premiere, right on the track where last year said goodbye to the possibility of playing the 'Final Four'.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

  • Euroleague
  • sports
  • basketball

Euroleague Luis Scola goes to Sergio Rodríguez and Ettore Messina's Olimpia Milano

Euroleague Felipe Reyes's eternity

Basketball World Cup 2019 Spain flirts with the horror against Iran