After more than two months of competition, Barça remained undefeated at the Palau before facing a week with three home games that could be restorative for the delicate situation it is going through. But on Wednesday it was Baxi Manresa that crushed that unbeaten record and this Friday Armani Milan repeated it, without Mirotic and flirting with the bottom of the Euroleague, which repeated and plunged Grimau's team into a slump. Ivanovic's Baskonia travels to Barcelona this Sunday to round off a week that could end up being terrifying.
The triple with Melli opened the duel did not bode well for Barça's interests. Quite a declaration of intentions from a Milan that landed at the Palau seriously injured in the Euroleague, where they are experiencing much pain and little glory this season. The triples were their main argument to delve into the Barça wound, which was slowly but surely getting bigger.
Grimau had shaken his quintet looking for some reaction to the “worst moment of the season”, as the coach himself described his team's situation after losing to Manresa, but he did not achieve his goal and the moment goes from bad to worse. Milan continued to make mincemeat of Barça's already weak (and more than worrying) defense. He did not stop shooting the Italian team from three in the first four minutes of the duel, which gave them a great advantage on the scoreboard and left the Palau looking scared.
A triple by Voigtmann gave a deep touch of gravity to the situation (12-27, minute 8), although it was Melli and a sidereal Shields (17 points at halftime, including 5 triples) who put the signature on the offensive display of those of Messina. Nothing new in a Palau accustomed in Europe to seeing his team concede points like water falls in a storm.
Laprovittola's points and Vesely's quality tried to make things up but Barça was unable to dominate the rebound and defended frankly poorly, leaving many shots free for the Milan players, who led by Shields put on their boots (9/19 triples at rest).
The comeback was a more than familiar scenario this season for Barça, in which they have even performed with ease on several occasions. Although Grimau's team managed to stop the loss of Messina's three-pointers - only 2 in the second half - and it took them four minutes to score their first point, it was difficult for them to score easily, they made mistakes in free throws, and they did not have of many second chances, the rebound is also bad. A three-pointer from Parra cut it to 59-63 (m28), a threat of reaction that ignited the Palau but Barça did not know how to finish suturing its wound. Supported by Brizuela in the last act, the Barça team never found the key against a Milan that was superior from the start without needing Mirotic, who was injured for a long time. The crisis is already here.
86 - Barça (19 21 19 27): Satoransky (4), Brizuela (9), Kalinic (17), Da Silva (6), Hernangómez (10) -starting team-, Vesely (14), Abrines (0), Nnaji (2), Jokubaitis (2), Laprovittola (16) and Parra (6).
90 - EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (29 22 17 20): Flaccadori (15), Shields (19), Ricci (0), Melli (16), Voigtmann (8) -starting team-, Poythress (6), Bortolani (0). ), Tonut (3), Hall (21) and Hines (2).
Referees: Ilija Belosevic (SER), Anne Panther (ALE) and Kristaps Konstantinovs (LET). They signaled a technical foul against the locals Satoransky (min.24) and Brizuela (min.40). They eliminated local Laprovittola due to five fouls (min.40).
Incidents: matchday 14 of the Euroleague played at the Palau Blaugrana in Barcelona before 4,588 spectators.
