By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Barcelona bounced back after the EuroLeague Final Four, Nick Calathes just missed the triple-double (10-9-12) and the Catalans got the 93-82 win over Gran Canaria in Game 1 of the first round of the Spanish Liga Endesa playoffs.
It wasn’t easy with the guests cutting Barcelona’s lead to two (72-70) at the start of the last quarter, but thanks to Calathes, Dante Exum (16 p. 5 r.) and Brandon Davies (16 p.), Barcelona never lost the lead and got the win without feeling pressure in the closing minutes.
The only issue for Barcelona is the head injury of Sertac Sanli who went to the hospital for further examinations after a possible concussion.
Aj Slaugher with 15 points did his best for Gran Canaria, which was competitive for most of the game.
Things were even easier one day earlier and a few kilometers away for Juventut Badalona which destroyed Lenovo Tenerife by 32 points (100-68) and also got a 1-0 lead in their first round series.
Seven players of the winning side scored in double digits with Joel Parra and Pep Busquets leading the show with 14 points each.