Laprovittola breaks Maccabi Tel Aviv from the perimeter

Euroleague

day 7That's how it was

Maccabee

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Finalized

Barca

Laprovittola, before Baldwin, during the meeting in Israel.ABIR SULTAN (EFE)

“Sarunas Jasikevicius!” shouted the Menora

Arena speaker before giving way to the presentation of the Maccabi Tel Aviv players.

And the entire stadium gave him a loud and grateful ovation, as the now Barcelona coach defended the Israeli shirt (2004 and 2005) to proclaim himself champion of the Euroleague for two consecutive years.

But that was the only candy for the fans, as hot as it was ready to shriek, a pressure cooker that had passed Barça on its last five visits.

A jinx that, however, argued and beat Laprovittola, splendid from the perimeter, golden wrist that lifts the team to the top positions in the Euroleague.

As soon as the duel began, Barcelona understood that in the bottle and in the fight for heights it would not be easy at all, since a tackle from Tobey was ignored by a jump as fierce as it was powerful from Poythress, a stopper wounded their pride and remove the hiccups

And although Tobey recovered in the next play -validated by a great assist from Kalinic-, the azulgrana team dedicated themselves to bombing from the perimeter, shooting triples that were as accurate as they were damaging, as they managed five of seven.

Nobody like Laprovittola, who autographed three out of three, plus one from Satoransky and another from Tobey.

But not even with the festival of three could Barcelona crack a Maccabi spurred on by the waist of Lorenzo Brown and the hand of Wade Baldwin, players who were very difficult to tie.

Until Tobey got even with another hat for the video library,

with a slap on time and the ball when Nebo was already caressing the rim.

A good vitamin for the azulgrana, which caused the rival's nerves, punished from free throws.

But Maccabi knew how to suffer without dying, only disheveled after the first quarter (20-23), taking refuge by surprise in Dibartolomeo's long shots.

Higgins tried unsuccessfully to give continuity to the Barça inspiration, so successful in the last stages but out of tune from the start in Israel.

And without the lighting in the shot -beyond a dose of Abrines, but with an expressive one of five from three in the second quarter-, Maccabi explained that to beat him not only do you have to burn the net of the rival basket but also You have to know how to defend your own.

And that resisted Barcelona, ​​almost always lukewarm and lacking in bad drool or intensity at critical moments, to the point that the Israelis took the lead (27-26).

Dead time for Jasikevicius and anger that make you lower your eyes and shake your knees, incitement for Laprovittola to emphasize himself again from three.

Although insufficient to destabilize Brown, who asked for the ball and the leading role,

who ripped Barça apart with his slaloms and shots with honey, finished off with a shot over the buzzer by Colson to reach the intermission in the lead (43-40).

"We've done a good job in transitions and rebounding, but we've been horrible in one-on-one defense," Jasikevicius summed up.

But Barça's problems in the defensive phase were not over, highlighted by Sanli's fourth foul as soon as the third quarter opened, less centimeters and less muscle for the paint.

Saras enraged, penalized with a technique;

but food for a Laprovittola who continued with his feast from the line of three, a sniper who traced a wound that was difficult to heal for Maccabi.

This was evidenced by Kattash -the Israeli team's coach- with another technical foul.

And joy for Barcelona (61-62), with only a quarter to go.

Then, neither the roar of the Menora Miytachim Arena nor Brown's class, nor Baldwin's finesse, could beat Barça, who corrected the man in defense and caused forced throws from the rival, rushing and nervousness.

In the opposite rim, Higgins -who arrived on time for the game with a last quarter to score-, scored again from three, the culmination of long-distance shots (13 of 31 for the azulgrana).

Satoransky and Tobey helped, and it was celebrated by Laprovittola, who kept the team going in difficult moments and broke down Maccabi's resistance so that Barça could catch some air in Europe.

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