Barça 82-69 Joventut Badalona: Catalan League finalists

Barça are through to final of the Lliga Catalana after beating Joventut Badalona on Saturday night in a game that was close enough until the third period, won 32-14 by the blaugrana to as good as seal victory. Davies led the scoring with 13.

The tournament, featuring the Catalan teams that play in the Liga ACB, is the traditional curtain raiser to the competitive basketball season.

In an extraordinary start, Barça went 10-0 before Badalona hit straight back to go 10-11 up. From there on there were no breakaways from either side until everything started to click into place for Barça in the third period. Going into the final 10 minutes leading 65-50, the job looked done and dusted.

Joventut didn’t lie down easy, and at one point managed to get the difference down to single figures, but a comeback never really looked on the cards and Barça eventually took the game and a place in Sunday’s final (9.30pm CEST) against either MoraBanc Andorra or Baxi Manresa.

MATCH STATS

Barça: Calathes (5), Abrines (6), Higgins (7), Badji (4), Mirotic (9), Davies (13), Martinez (1), Smits (7), Hayes-Davis (2), Laprovittola (10), Kuric (7) & Jokubaitis (11). 

Joventut Badalona: Vives (-), Maronka (7), Parra (9), Pal (5), Birgander (9), Busquets (9), Ribas (-), Brodziansky (9), Ventura (2) & Willis (19). 

Periods: 14-18 / 19-18 / 32-14 / 17-19