Barça 81-94 Emporio Armani Milan: Poor quarter leads to defeat

The 125th anniversary game at the Palau Blaugrana was not enough to lead Barça to victory against Emporio Armani Milan in the Euroleague. The Italians took a 94-81 win in the 15th round of the competition in a game in which the blaugranes imploded in the third quarter. Zach Leday led the way for the Milan side with 33 points, followed by former blaugrana Nikola Mirotic with 19. 

Good start 

Early on the game things looked good for the blaugranes, taking a 17-9 lead after just six minutes. Mirotic, applauded on his return to the Palau, scored seven points in the first quarter to keep his side in touch.

In the second period the Italians bounced back and Barça's offense dried up with just five points in five minutes. Zach Leday started to dominate proceedings and with Mirotic's help, Milan clawed things back to 38-38. Nevertheless, the home side managed to take a 43-40 lead in at half time. 

Third quarter to forget

Four points from Satoransky got the blaugranes off to a good start in the second half and took them to 55-46 ahead. However, from that point on Barça fell apart. Leday and Bolmaro combined to outscore Barça 30-5 in the rest of the quarter to give the Italians a 16 point lead going into the final period at 76-60. 

Mission impossible 

The Palau did their best to raise a comeback, but it was such a tall order that Joan Peñarroya's team went down to an eventual 94-81 defeat. The blaugranes are next in action against Casademont Zaragoza on Sunday in the Endesa League before hosting a Fenerbahce side coached by former Barça coach Šarūnas Jasikevičius at the Palau Blaugrana next Tuesday. 

MATCH STATS 

BARÇA, 81
EMPORIO ARMANI MILAN, 94
 
Barça: Satoransky (8), Punter (21), Anderson (17), Parker (7), Vesely (13) -starting five- Sarr (-), Brizuela (6), Hernangómez (4), Núñez (3), Parra (2).

Milan: Mannion (6), Bolmaro (4), Leday (33), Shields (11), Mirotic (19) -starting five- Dimitrijevic (5), Causeur (5), Brooks (3), Ricci (-), Diop (6), Gillespie (2).