Barça sweats the fat drop against Unicaja

ACB - semifinal - matchday 1

Barça

84 81

Finalized

Unicaja

Vesely enters the basket against Unicaja.AFP7 via Europa Press (AFP7 via Europa Press)

It was more than just a shock. Barça had 17 points of advantage and, stunned against an exquisite Sima, against a combative Unicaja like few, went to two in the third quarter. But Vesely denied the major and clarified that the Palau is much Palau, because the Barça team counts the league matches (19) by victory in the course. One to zero for Barça in the semifinals.

The clash began with the hoop dwarfed, with the shooters snapping their tongues and the gesture crooked, because for almost three minutes there were no baskets to taste. Vesely, Mirotic, Satoransky, Kravish, Perry, Djedovic... No one was right. Until Vesely, governor under the pole, grabbed a bounce and opened the can. Reel for Mirotic, who again explained that he has engraved on fire the blunder against Madrid in the European semifinal, with three ridiculous points, which is now required to shine to give himself the opportunity of the revalidation with the whites in the league final if they are able to overcome the Joventut of the inspired Guy. Brizuela tried to find the inspiration copera, when with 27 points he unstitched Barça. But neither he nor a sharp Ejim could remedy Barça's weapon of mass destruction: the triples. He signed 18 -record in the competition- in the last match to dismount Valencia and thus opened a gap in the first quarter, with Abrines and Sanli of snipers.

Unicaja, under the baton of Alberto Díaz or Perry, tried to attack fast, pull legs to husk the almost always efficient Barça defense. And although he was small on the offensive rebound, he suffered wrist triggers on the shot. Enough for the second unit of Barça to keep the distances and oxygenate the lungs of the Marvel quintet (there is no key match that does not leave the same at the start), who returned to the court to twist the rival a little more, to the point that even Satoransky scored a triple unintentionally in his attempt of alley oop for Mirotic. He was followed by Laprovittola, who had a scuffle with Perry that did not go to majors but that served to explain the tension of a semifinal. And Barça, already in the intermission, had the first match on track. Or not...

It turns out that Unicaja, at last, began to score from the paint thanks to a Sima who abused the hoop, stellar, in the purest NBA style, capable of finishing with 19 points. Momentum -with more than 70% success in the shot in the fourth- seconded by Carter and Kalinoski, who narrowed the duel, three points away. The ghosts appeared for Barça, often accused of not knowing how to finish the games, of losing the competitive tone to complicate life. Tara who rejected Vesely to seal the room with a snort of relief (66-58). But there was the epilogue. Ejim wanted to put his signature, exceptional in the rebounds. But the autograph also wanted to stamp Vesely, happy to find shots from half distance, that which makes him one of the best European pivots. Kalinoski also wanted to say his, omnipotent on the court, architect that with 19 seconds left to play, the Barça team only had a sip of advantage, three points (82-79). But the final rubric, articulated with two free kicks from Laprovittola and a steal on the horn of Mirotic that prevented the triple rival, was Barcelona that, with ardor, fulfilled to take the first match of the tie.

BARCELONA, 84 – UNICAJA, 81

Barcelona: Satoransky (10), Laprovittola (5), Abrines (12), Mirotic (14) and Vesely (12) —initial quintet—; Sanli (13), Kalinic (2), Tobey (0), Kuric (7) and Jokubaitis (9).

Unicaja: Perry (2), Brizuela (5), Djedovic (2), Ejim (14) and Kravish (4) —starting quintet—; Osetkowski (5), Kalinoski (12), Barreiro (0), Alberto Diaz (4), Carter (10) Sima (19) and Thomas (4).

Partial: 26-15; 19-16; 21-27; and 18-23.

Arbitrators: Fernando Calatrava, Jordi Aliaga and Francisco Araña. Perry was eliminated for personal fouls.

Palau Blaugrana. 5,390 spectators.

You can follow EL PAÍS Deportes on Facebook and Twitter, or sign up here to receive our weekly newsletter.