86-89 against CSKA Efes will play in the final despite playing with fire
It was a path of suffering, how could it be otherwise.
The sheer agony, basketball raised to the heights of emotion with that unique, priceless thing that it houses: a basket at the last second.
It was
Corey Higgins
, the man of ice, who signed the genius for Barcelona to knock down the courageous Olimpia and, 11 years later and too many troubles, return to an entire Euroleague final.
[Narration and statistics (84-82)]
He had to survive a harsh battle against Armani Milan, two historic fights, the nerves of the outcome, where everyone failed and failed, where everything was heading for extra time - already with
Nick Calathes
, the best Barça player, injured in his ankle-, until the dapper guard, as if the spirit of his godfather
Michael Jordan
had taken possession of him, walked the court with the calm of the chosen ones to score a stupendous six-meter throw when there was no more second on the Lanxess Arena scoreboard.
There, in the final tomorrow, Anadolu Efes awaits him, but it will be another story. It was not the best night for those of
Sarunas Jasikevicius
, who paid the price of the ansiedd, but few remember the troubles when the goal is achieved. He knew how to suffer, resist the irresistible - the inspiration of a pure scorer like
Kevin Punter
-, which is the first condition of a team that aspires to green laurels, to once again be king of Europe.
And that had started without strange experiments, things clear, his most recognizable references taking responsibility.
First Calathes, then
Nikola Mirotic
and soon
Pau Gasol
.
In case anyone doubted (even Jasikevicius himself harbored recognized mistrust), the veteran pivot, the legend, is for these heights.
To contribute something different, to score 10 points without anyone knowing very well how, as he always did in his unique career.
Although later in the second half he only returned to barely disturb the throw-in of the penultimate Italian play.
Superb start from Gasol
But the great Barça impetus, with that defense that Saras demands as if what was on the court were the first line of a war front - oppressive, to the limit -, had an answer in
Ettore Messina's
Olimpia
, that something knows about these appointments: it was his Final Four number 12, although the last one he lifted it with CSKA in 2008. With baskets in extremis and others of pure talent, which he has a good handful of in his squad.
Vladimir Micov
hurt
Alex Abrines
, Punter later showed his enormous scoring ability ... A dawn of carats, scoring and variations by both fighters.
The sensations indicated that the Armani could not resist too much if he did not change something, that his individual thrusts were little against the Barça machinery, each time with more tusk and self-assurance.
Jasikevicius's second unit did not lower the intensity and soon the first crack opened (49-38 after a triple by Calathes, min. 19).
Milan was reeling.
The rest bell was going to save him.
Partial 6-16
But Barça could not maintain that inertia when returning from the changing rooms. The night in Cologne became tangled, now it was even difficult to breathe from vertigo. But, in that mud,
Malcolm Delaney
(an ex with pending accounts) and, mainly an unleashed Punter, flowed with their genius, which decomposed Barça's stability, which made him doubt. Soon the Italians turned the scoreboard (57-58), with a 6-16 partial. And they even increased the bid after a triple by
Sergio Rodríguez
(59-67). The smiles had switched sides at one point and (another)
Calathes
triple
in extremis
was a relief before the final act.
He entered the home straight with the emotion unleashed, but also with the drama on Calathes' ankle, an essential metronome.
Before Mirotic had appeared and that ability to go to the free throw line that so many plans destroys the rival.
After noting each other, the failures, the nerves, the bad decisions.
Punter failed, who had previously nailed a stratophric triple.
But then the ball went into Higgins' hands.
The type for whom the scene does not seem to weigh, nor the desert crossed by the institution, nor anything at all.
That American who grew up with Jordan, grabbed the ball and walked the court, with the spotlights on him.
Then, everything was over for Milan, everything exploded for Barcelona, back to the heights of Europe so many times later.
A basket that goes directly into the history of the entity.
According to the criteria of The Trust Project
Know more
sports
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Nikola Mirotic
Pau Gasol
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