Redeeming duel for Baskonia and Barça

Redeeming duel for Baskonia and Barça

BARCELONA, 18 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) -

Cazoo Baskonia and Barça face each other this Thursday at the Buesa Arena (8:30 p.m.) on matchday 20 of the Euroleague Regular Phase, in a key duel for two old acquaintances seeking European redemption after the latest defeats, with the intention of to re-escalate places in the table.

Both Baskonia and Barça were in the upper zone, in privileged positions and access to the 'Play-off', and fighting for the top. Now they are still in the noble zone, but without the option of leading anything after the respective defeats against Partizán and Anadolu Efes, respectively.

However, this duel between blaugranas from the Endesa League promises. First, because there is a lot at stake. Second, because Baskonia is playing at home in the Euroleague for the first time in 2023 and because, third, there is a thirst for revenge after Barça's two victories in direct duels so far this season.

Last Friday, Cazoo Baskonia extended its results slump after falling (83-65) against Partizan Belgrade, to drop from the top of the standings and add their third consecutive defeat in the top continental competition. Three defeats in three straight games away, away from the Buesa Arena.

Against the Serbs, the Baskonistas were not at a good level neither in defense, where they suffered due to the great foreign success of their rival, nor in attack, and they could not even find help in their two best players at the moment, Markus Howard and Pierria Henry, absent due to physical inconvenience.

"We are going to wait these hours to see if I can count on any of them. I dare not say if they will be there or not," commented the Baskonista coach, Joan Peñarroya, in the run-up to this duel against Barça. So the wait for them will continue.

At home, Baskonia has achieved 8 victories in 9 games in this Euroleague. And they cling to it to knock down Barça and dream high again. "In the Euroleague we have played the last three games away and we have not won them, but we are not worried or in bad dynamics. If anyone thinks so, and that we have it easy tomorrow to play at home, we are going badly," warned the coach.

They also cling to the fact that they beat Barça on their last continental visit to Vitoria-Gasteiz; on December 30, 2021 with 94-75 on the scoreboard. And Barça also has doubts, with Tomas Satoransky and Sergi Martínez down for this game.

"It will be a bit along the lines of Efes. When you start badly, they immediately take a 12-point advantage. You have to know how to sacrifice and use our weapons. Mistakes will pay dearly at the Buesa Arena", commented the Blaugrana coach, Sarunas Jasikevicius, in the preview of the duel.

And it is that Barça arrives after losing at home against the current champion, one of the 'executioners' of greater weight for the Catalans lately. Barça fell (75-80) as a result of a bad performance from the initial jump, with a final reaction that was not enough, which took the 'culé' team off the hook and woke up a champion who was touched.

The bad start (9-21) condemned Barça to haste, bad decisions and a defense surpassed by good Turkish play. The champion entered strong and controlled his rival with triples, with Larkin savoring 'fame' again, to knock on the door of the even 'Play-off' zone. Sarunas Jasikevicius' men, with 17 points from Higgins in the second half, got their act together in the last quarter with a 14-0 run that did not prevent the fall of the European lead.

CAZOO BASKONIA: Thompson, Marinkovic, Díez, Giedraitis and Kotsar --possible starting five--; Hommes, Henry, Costello, Kurucs, Sedekerskis, Enoch and Raieste.

BARÇA: Laprovittola, Kuric, Abrines, Mirotic and Sanli --possible starting five--; Da Silva, Paulí, Vesely, Kalinic, Higgins, Tobey, Tobey and Jokubaitis.

--ÁRBITROS: Pukl, Lottermoser y Laurinavicius.

--PAVEL: Buesa Sand.