There was no hangover from the night of the dead at the Palau Blaugrana. Not Halloween either. Barça proved to be a team that is very alive, regaining its winning ways after two consecutive defeats against a Panathinaikos team that gave its all in Athens. Even Roger Grimau, always so apparently calm, certified that Barça vital state by protesting in an unusual way for him about a possible foul and receiving a technical foul. It was more of an incentive than a blot on a night marked by the supporting actors at the Palau.
Both teams competed in casualties before the initial jump. Ataman, personified in his slow pace – he spent more time sitting than standing – that little competitive spirit of the greens, had been left without two of his best weapons, Sloukas and Vildoza. Grimau was also unable to count on Laprovittola or Jokubaitis, who was absent at the last minute. Absences that led to Oriol Paulí's first minutes in the Euroleague this season, notable, almost outstanding minutes, with a veiled message to the bench demanding a little more prominence.
Panathinaikos' first basket was a triple by Grant that put the Greeks ahead (2-3). From there everything was uphill for the six-time European champion, who gradually fell apart without hardly putting up a fight. A scenario that prevented the slightest morbidity in the expected duel between the Hernangómez brothers. While Willy, as always, complied, and had a great time battling the beast Lessort, there was no news about Juancho in Barcelona, his points portfolio was empty.
The duel lived through a first quarter of scoring before Barça, pressing the accelerator minimally, began to escape. Ataman's team went to the locker room without having reached ten rebounds, in another sign of his lack of willingness to compete, no matter how diminished he landed in Barcelona.
On the other hand, at Barça everything seemed to work. It was Jabari Parker and Oriol Paulí, acting as point guard, who catapulted their team on the scoreboard before the break, both finishing the duel as the Barça top scorers. Although it was Satoransky, who together with Kalinic also gave another small basketball clinic, the one who widened it to 45-31 (minute 19) moments after the aforementioned (and surprising) technique to Grimau.
The game ended up blowing up in the third act. Ataman did not know how or did not want to encourage his team and Barça played like a steamroller. Vesely, Satoransky, Parker and, finally, Kalinic widened the gap until Brizuela made it 75-47 (minute 32), already in the last quarter.
There Barça made a mistake by disconnecting too much even though the victory was not in any danger because it allowed them to threaten to wake up Panathinaikos, up and restless now Ataman, perhaps thinking about the basket average. Because the reaction only served his team to avoid a beating. The victory had no other direction than that of Barça.
80. Barça (21 24 26 9): Satoransky (10), Abrines (2), Kalinic (10), Da Silva (2), Vesely (9) -starting team-, Brizuela (8), Willy Hernangómez (5) , Parker (17), Paulí (12), Parra (2), Nnaji (3) and Sarr (-).
72. Panathinaikos (20 13 14 25): Grant (15), Guy (6), Juancho Hernangómez (-), Mitoglou (6), Lessort (9) -equipo inicial-, Grigonis (11), Kalaitzakis (5), Balcerowski (12), Mantzoukas (-), Moraitis (5) and Samontourov (3).
Referees: Sreten Radovic (CRO), Olegs Latisevs (LET), Joseph Bissang (FRA). They penalized the local bench with a technical foul (min.20) and an unsportsmanlike foul against the visitors Mitoglou (min.37) and Grant (min.40). They eliminated the local Paulí with five fouls (min.40).
Incidents: match of the sixth day of the Euroleague played at the Palau Blaugrana in Barcelona before 7,225 spectators.
