Real Madrid 93 – 94 Barça Lassa: Copa del Rey Champions!

FC Barcelona Lassa overcame a 14-point deficit at the start of the fourth quarter and went on to beat Real Madrid in overtime in the Copa del Rey Final to win the annual knockout tournament for the 25th time in Club history.

Thomas Heurtel scored 22 points and was named the tournament’s MVP.

With the Catalans down 60-46 at the end of the third quarter, the team mounted a ferocious comeback, going on a 17-1 run, fueled by four three-pointers, to give them a 63-61 lead with five minutes to play.

Barça Lassa then maintained their edge until the final play of regulation, when Sergio Llull’s floater in the lane tied the game at 77-77 to force overtime.

Both teams exchanged baskets in the extra frame, before Barça scored six unanswered points to take a 90-87 lead with 40 seconds to play. Chris Singleton then went to the line and made both free throws to put Barça up five, at 92-87, with 21 seconds on the clock.

Then, things got crazy.

Real Madrid’s Anthony Randolph made a three to cut Barça’s lead back to two, and on the ensuing inbound, Barça quickly went on the fast break, passing out past mid-court, with Singleton charging in on a breakaway to seal the win. Singleton was fouled hard from behind, and missed the layup, but the referees did not blow the whistle.

Real Madrid’s Jaycee Carroll grabbed the rebound and then drove the lane at the other end, making a runner in the lane and drawing a foul that would send him to the free throw line to put Real Madrid up one, 93-92, with 4.2 seconds on the clock. Carroll completed the three-point play and it appeared that Real Madrid would walk away with the victory.

After a timeout, Barça inbounded at the other end and got the ball into Ante Tomic. Tomic drop stepped and drove underneath the basket, and his reverse layup attempt was blocked. But the officials consulted the replay and determined that the block was, in fact, goaltending, having come after Tomic’s shot came off the backboard. Barça Lassa were incredibly back up, 94-93, with 1.2 seconds remaining.

Real Madrid’s last gasp heave from half-court rimmed out, allowing Barça Lassa to claim a thrilling victory and a second consecutive Copa del Rey title.

GAME STATS:

Real Madrid, 93
Barça Lassa, 94

Real Madrid: Causeur (14), Campazzo (19), Ayón (12), Randolph (16) and Deck (2) — Carroll (5), Rudy (5), Llull (13), Causeur, Reyes (2), Tavares (2) and Taylor (3).

Barça Lassa: Pangos (10), Ribas (2), Singleton (4), Claver (15) and Tomic (14) — Hanga (2), Séraphin (6), Kuric (12), Oriola (7) and Heurtel (22).

By Quarter: 16-20 / 35-35 / 60-46 / 77-77 / 93-94

Referees: Juan Carlos García González, M.A. Pérez Pérez, Benjamín Jiménez.