By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
LDLC ASVEL was ready to fight, but at home FC Barcelona couldn’t be denied, especially having Nicolas Laprovitolla on such a night.
The Argentinian point guard solved every problem for the hosts on the way to the 101-92 win, keeping his team in the second spot of the standings (9-2) and the French second-to-last with the exact opposite record (2-9).
To be exact, Laprovitolla tied his EuroLeague career-high of 28 points and dished nine assists.
“I told him he grew a moustache to look like me, great game”, said ASVEL coach Gianmarco Pozzecco, himself an explosive guard on his playing days, about Barcelona’s leader.
Jan Vesely had 14 points and Jabari Parker 13, but “Lapro” was the star and even had a joke in the flash interview which also hides a good point: “We have to work on our defense.”
On a more serious note Vesely added that things will get harder: “We are in the second place, but we have to get ready for these two months that are ahead of us.”
Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot scored 20 for ASVEL, Joffrey Lauvergne 17 and Nando De Colo 16, however in crunch time, they didn’t have the answers.
“In football it would be 5-5”
For the most part, the game was a high-scoring competitive affair with the French side not letting things get wild against them and even getting momentarily a two-point lead (47-45).
However, Barcelona never trailed in the second half, led by 14 (78-64), and had the answers even when ASVEL made it a one-point game (84-83) with seven minutes left until the final buzzer.
With the game on the line, Tomas Satorasnky scored a crucial three (86-83), De Colo missed and Laprovittola with one more three created a seven-point cushion (90-83).
ASVEL couldn’t get into sticking distance after that.
As coach Gianmarco Pozzecco admitted: “I am sad because we played an unbelievable game which was also played unbelievable. If this was football between Real Madrid and Barcelona the score would be 5-5 but there’s no draw in basketball”.
Photo credit: FC Barcelona