• Matchday 22 Qualification

Barça achieved a bittersweet victory against Zenit.

Nick Calathes

, who showed with 12 assists that the team can be charged behind his back in the most difficult moments,

Kyle Kuric

, with a lethal second quarter and

Brandon Davies

were the brightest players in a team that beat Xavi Pascual's team, but he saw how the Russians equaled the basket average in extremis with a triple on

Kevin Pangos'

horn

.

Right now, the Catalans have the best scoring difference in the Euroleague, but his rival, third in the table, showed him that he is not one of those who throw in the towel easily, however impossible the company may seem.

[Narration and statistics (85-81)]

In the first 10 minutes the destructive tasks shone more than the attacks.

Something perfectly to be expected, taking into account that two of the best defenses in the Euroleague were measured.

Barça, thanks above all to the good deeds of

Corey Higgins

and the clairvoyance of Calathes to give the pass just at the most opportune moment, managed to go to the second quarter with a slight advantage on the scoreboard (16-14) against a rival that had in

Mateusz Ponitka

and Pangos its most outstanding players.

The second period, on the other hand, was already a very different story.

At least from the point of view of Barça.

Sarunas Jasikevicius's

men

, thanks to the infallibility of a Kuric who scored three triples and two shots from the field, would open a maximum gap of 13 points (44-31).

Davies and Higgins, with sparks, would also contribute their grain of sand in front of a Zenit that tried to stay more or less afloat thanks, above all, to the delivery of

Arturas Gudaitis

, ultimately the architect of the duel going to rest with a score of 44-33 and the best feelings in the hands of the locals.

69-50 at the end of the third quarter

Barça seemed to kill the game after the break with a performance that allowed them to go to the last and final period 19 points above (69-50).

Zenit, with an eminently choral game, seemed capable at times of narrowing things down, but was disarmed by a reaction that would find its highest point in a triple

in extremis

by

Leo Westermann

.

Calathes, assuming responsibility when his team had a harder time finding actions to score, was the brightest of the Catalans, well shielded by a voracious Davies.

Nothing, at the end of the fourth, invited to think that his rival would return the blows practically one by one.

The triples, with

Andrey Zubkov

unleashed, were once again the main argument of Pascual's team to put fear in Barça's body.

Besides, it was difficult for the Catalans to score and it helps to score against a once again tremendously iron defense.

The faith of the visitors, able to hold the guy even when Jasikevicius's men seemed to finally find the way to win and the

basket average

, would finally find its prize in the last triple with which Pangos would place the final 85-81.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

  • sports

  • basketball

  • Euroleague

ACB 2020 - 2021 Thomas Heurtel's labyrinth towards Real Madrid: "In no case are we going to compensate him"

ACBY Heurtel stayed away at Barcelona B: "They won't let him play for Madrid"

Euroleague 2020 - 2021 Higgins leads Barça to a prestigious triumph against CSKA

See links of interest

  • 2021 business calendar

  • Real Valladolid - Raise

  • Crystal Palace - West Ham United

  • Newcastle United - Leeds United

  • Real Betis - Real Sociedad

  • Girona - Villarreal