Barça 92-89 Maccabi: Vital win to ensure a play-off spot

A late bit of magic from Laprovittola helped Barça beat Maccabi 92-89 for a vital win. A fight to the very end, the victory sees the blaugranes confirmed in the EuroLeague play-offs with a "final" to go to confirm home court advantage. Abrines, Vesely and Parker also played key roles at a vibrant Palau Blaugrana.

+7 to -10...

Barça started the first quarter well, going +7, with Ricky Rubio regaining possession superbly and six points from a battling Oscar da Silva. Willy Hernagómez was also putting on a show and Maccabi seemed unable to stem the flow. However, the side from Tel Aviv managed to redress the balance to take it to 19-19. The visitors then built on their momentum to go +7. 

... but Abrines leads the fightback

The blaugranes had to respond, which they did through an alley-oop between Rubio and Vesely. The Israeli side reacted once again though, and the score went to 25-35 (min 14). The deficit didn't stymie Roger Grimau's side though, and Barça came back to go three points ahead, with a sensational Abrines from the three point line helping to take the score to 44-43 at the break.

Parker gets in on the three point action

Nothing to choose between the sides in the third, FC Barcelona always leading the charge, but only by a few points. However, an imperious Jabari Parker had something to say about that, scoring three consecutive three pointers to give the blaugranes a +8 lead, ably assisted by Vesely and Laprovittola. 

All square until Lapro's bit of magic

The lead going into the fourth wasn't enough as Maccabi quickly reduced it to 72-70. Again Abrines stepped up from 6.75 metres, but the visitors did the same and actually went into the lead themselves (75-78, min 32), which is how it stayed until the final minutes of the game.

The score was so tight, and good defence and another three points from Abrines with 2:38 to go took the blaugranes ahead again (87-85). Roger Grimau's side did what they could to manage the lead, but when it was all square with five seconds to go, Nicolas Laprovittola came up with a bit of magic, his incredible three-pointer making it 92-89. Win and EuroLeague play-off place confirmed! Next up another game at the Palau, as Barça welcome old rivals Real Madrid on 7 April in the Liga Endesa. 

GAME STATS

Barça 92 
Maccabi 89

Barça: Satoransky (2), Kalinic (4), Laprovittola (15), Da Silva (10) and Vesely (17) - starting five - Ricky Rubio (4), Willy Hernangómez (9), Jabari Parker (14), Jokubaitis (-), Abrines (17) and Nnaji (-)
Maccabi: Lorenzo Brown (6), Baldwin IV (22), Cohen (-), Nebo (14) and Colson (7) - starting five - Web III (5), Rivero (8), Blatt (9), Cleveland (6), Dibartolomeo (12) and Sorkin (-)

Quarters: 19-19; 25-24 // 26-20; 22-26

Referees: Damir Javor, Sasa Pukl and Robert Vyklicky