Hiopos Lleida 74-78 Barça: Derby win
Lleida are back in the basketball top flight after a long 18 year absence, and in the welcome return of this all-Catalan derby encounter, Barça have come out winners after a gripping final few minutes.
The packed Barris Nord arena produced an atmosphere worthy of the occasion, while Kevin Punter provided the spectacle on the court as his two early threes put some early air between the teams at 12-17.
But a stop-start game saw Lleida amassing enough points to remain in contention, and former blaugrana Pauli eventually levelled things up on 21 each before Barça powered off on their first big streak of the game. Nine uncontested points and they were now well in command.
Tight battle
A Muric three enraptured the Barris Nord early in the third period. It was like a war cry, and one that Barça were ready to meet. Key scores from Joel Parra and Darío Brizuela meant they'd be starting the final +11, which was soon to become +19. Surely that was game over?
Perhaps complacency had crept into the Barça game, and that's never a good idea in this sport. Lleida still believed a miracle was possible, and somehow or other managed to knock the seemingly unassailable margin down to just six. Then Bropleh bagged a three. They were now within just three!
Barça looked to have managed the final minutes right, but Bropleh then delivered another 3-pointer. Just two in it. But a game that had reached a much nervier climax than anyone might have expected was eventually settled by Brizuela and Abrines scores. Phew!
MATCH STATS
Hiopos Lleida: 74
Barça: 78
Hiopos Lleida: Bost (3), Paulí (4), Muric (5), Bozic (14), Cooke Jr. (7), Oriola (8), Walden (2), Bropleh (15), Villar (8) Madsen (6), Hasbrouck (0) & Caicedo (2).
Barça: Núñez (2), Punter (6), Parker (6), Parra (16), Fall (10) - cinc inicial - Anderson (9), Laprovittola (4), Brizuela (10), Metu (4), Satoransky (0), Hernangómez (9) & Abrines (2).
Periods: 12-17, 30-37, 46-57, 74-78.
Refs: Juan Carlos García González, Alfonso Olivares & David Sánchez.