By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Baskonia blew out Barcelona 86 – 61 in Vitoria to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five ACB semifinal series. It was a game that didn’t exactly look like a contest between the teams that finished second and third in the regular season.
With the score 31 – 25 in the mid of the second period, the Basques proceeded to dominate their opponents with an 18 – 3 partial score to gain a 21-point lead, 49 – 28 at the beginning of the second half.
Not only was Barcelona completely unable to bounce back, especially given the absences of Pau Ribas and Pierre Oriola, but also fell behind by 27 points with ten minutes left to play. Practically, a Game Over”.
Janis Timma, Patricio Garrino, and Tornike Shengelia dropped 13 points apiece for Baskonia while Rodrigue Beaubois had 11. Only Petteri Koponen scored in double figures from a disappointing Barcelona squad, finishing with 13 points.