• Mirotic. "There are a lot of people screwed up, who has not overcome the one in Barça"

A week after falling in Milan, the club met again with the victory. And also, with your best feelings. Svestislav Pesic's team forged their victory in Kaunas through three simply vital figures. On the one hand, by means of a stellar Nikola Mirotic in the first quarter and the cruising speed was enough in the remaining ones to sign another great game again. On the other, with a Pierre Oriola who briefly picked up his witness in the second quarter, to show in part what awaited the locals. And, finally, above all, in a Cory Higgins that was made with a record of 27 points in a final stretch of the game absolutely brilliant, which would be enough in the end to take the win against a tremendously combative Zalgiris. [86-93: Narration and statistics]

Barça had a hard time coming into play at startup. But, as soon as he did it, he made it very clear that, on this occasion, he was not exactly willing to let the triumph slip through his fingers, just as he did during his visit to the Olympia in Milan . And he did, above all, leaning on a Mirotic that touched all the keys. Perhaps, with the very present memory that it was precisely in Kaunas where he signed his best performance in the Euroleague, no matter how much, in that case, he did it by wearing the Real Madrid shirt.

In the first quarter alone, he scored 13 points, very close to his European average so far this season, located at 18.3 points. Before Mirotic began his recital, however, it was Smits who took full advantage of the minutes that Pesic granted him to put the Catalans in the game when his faltering start threatened to give Saras Jasikevicius a great advantage to the team. The difference between both teams, at rest, was only three points for the Catalans (20-23), but the sensations played decidedly in their favor.

And if Mirotic showed the best of their faces, Tomic, on the other hand, again made very clear the reasons why Barcelona fans are concerned with their performance. Although, yes, as soon as it took some inertia, from the end of the first quarter, it began to be revealed as crucial. Above all, in the painting. Barça began trying to open the gap in the first quarter by showing solid defense and hunting several rebounds in attack. And he kept that tonic in the second, no matter how much Walkup tried the unspeakable to try to prevent visitors from going too far on the scoreboard.

Pesic booked Mirotic for many minutes. And in those, who picked up the witness of his role was a Pierre Oriola who was in charge of commanding, in large part, the Barcelona arreón. A arreón that also had the perfect icing on a spectacular Hanga triplazo. Gradually, the Svetislav Pesic team forged a difference of +9 on the scoreboard that could have even come to rest if Kuric, on the last breath and after recovering the ball, had not ended up losing it in the dumbest way, allowing Let Leday leave things at 40-47 with a mate to pleasure.

Leday, precisely, was the one who was responsible for balancing things again on the scoreboard after the resumption, starring in a 7-0 run in which he missed a free throw. Barça cost God and helps score first points in the third quarter. Almost, as if the tremendous bird that condemned him in Milan had advanced in this case in a period. Higgins , once played the first four minutes, halted the bleeding, only to see how Hayes, after assistance of the hyperactive Leday, put the equalizer on the scoreboard (49-49).

The Zalgiris smelled the blood, but he did not know how to give the definitive bite, even though Barça complicated his life in some moments. In large part, neglecting defensive rebound. The Pesic team, despite everything, managed on this occasion so as not to lose the face of the match. And the more than reliable pulse of Mirotic from the line of free throws seemed enough to begin to rebuild his advantage. A mirage. A triple of Lekavicius and a technique of Delaney threatened to tighten things again. A threat that could have been hopelessly very real, if Higgins and Tomic had not rowed hard to avoid it. Very especially the first, with a triple on the horn that allowed his team to leave the last and final period with five points of advantage (61-66).

And he still put things better Higgins with a new triple to inaugurate the last quarter with which the Azulgana again breached. Davies, however, would threaten to cut her off with a staff after Landale's shot who would squeeze the light again just to see how Higgins, again from beyond the 6.75 line, marked distances again. Five attempts, five triples. Its effectiveness bordered the unprecedented. And he completed it with an individual action to put ten points of difference with the Lithuanians on the scoreboard (64-74). There was an answer, with a triple of Milaknis. But Tomic had already started his particular diesel engine and the team could also rely on its features to avoid repeating the mistakes of last week.

The Zalgiris did not give up before the gale that the Catalans signed at the beginning of the last period. He tried to stay in the game until the end. But, ultimately, he had no choice but to end up bowing his knee (86-93) before a club that, of course, was rediscovered again, if only for a few moments, with the most neat version of his game in the Euroleague That same one that has allowed him to be placed as one of the firm candidates to win the title in the Final Four of Cologne .

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