By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Carlos Arroyo returned to action, Juan Carlos Navarro was absent, Galatasaray tried until the last second, but Barcelona finally got the 78-75 win and with a 3-0 sweep became the first team which got the ticket to the Final Four.
The outcome was decided in the last minute with started with the hosts having a two points lead (72-70) but Barcelona closed the game with a 8-3 run. Arroyo who had 21 points missed two shots in the last minute – he was blocked by Joey Dorsey in the second one – and Brad Oleson with 5/6 free throws secured the win for Barcelona. In total Oleson had 13 points and Marcelo Huertas with 16 points was the top scorer of the winners who are waiting in the semifinal the winner of the series between Real Madrid and Olympiacos.
Winner coach Xavi Pascual said after the game: “We’re very pleased with this accomplishment. This is our fifth Final Four in six years. I want to congratulate my team for this performance. They had a good night. Also it was an excellent game for the fans. It was a close game at the end and both teams could have win. We defended well in the last positions and qualified to the Final Four”. “It was like a marathon with 27 Euroleague games this season, and we proved to people that we’re a team that deserves a spot in the quarterfinals”, added Galatasaray‘s coach Ergin Ataman.