Jasikevicius' seamless Barça reconquers the League
So many times the desire marks the events. Barça, in the middle of a sporting and institutional storm, with its star half-packed already due to the club's own decision, has reconquered two years later, in the most forceful way possible, perhaps the most unlikely League. The third round at the WiZink was an extension of the first two. A seamless team, mentally powerful and detached from egos once again defeated a Real Madrid that seemed satiated with success after the recent conquest of the Euroleague. It will be the ACB of Mirotic's goodbye, but also that of Jasikevicius, the coach who managed to sustain the competitiveness of his players despite everything. [Narration and statistics (82-93]
Champion of the regular league and powerful in the playoffs, Barça rose from another failure in the Final Four, from the threat of a blank year and even from the uncertainties of a future of economic cuts.. Carrying out the plan on the Saras court, he deactivated the European champion with energy, tactical rigor and mental strength. He did not even need to return to the Palau, in his sixth victory in the nine games against Madrid this season, he lifted the Endesa League in enemy territory.
If it was about raising the pressure, Barça knew how to accept those first blows of local energy, with a mixture of temperance and tactical wisdom. That strength was going to be the key. It is as if Jasikevicius's warriors had mechanized each of the situations raised by the rival, a way like any other to undermine their morale. Because the progress of the minutes favored him.
In that first impulse, Madrid failed to open a gap. And soon the nervousness came. Which translated into too many missed free throws and the first visitors' advantages (22-29 after a three-pointer from Kalinic). And in even more environmental pressure on the referees. That first white challenge was resolved by Causeur and, above all, by the pride of Llull, who entered with eight points off his run and everything ready for another heroism, his impetus inexhaustible. With Tavares' first basket, the Whites left with an advantage at halftime.
But soon they would be in tow again, feeling that Jasikevicius had everything under control.. The first minutes of the second part showed a defensive indolence that at that point could be very expensive. Three baskets in a row from Vesely, two triples from Laprovittola… Points and more points from an increasingly self-confident Barça, to which Madrid responded with lashes of self-esteem, now led by El Chacho.
free throws
The equality was unbearable, as it has been throughout the final. Barça had the success from the perimeter on their part and the security of playing with a net and Chus Mateo saved Llull for the moment of truth. The errors from 4.60 were the Malaysian drop to the local desire to stay alive and Vesely and his medium-distance shots tortured Tavares. The Czech was decisive. With the unplugged Musa looking on from the bench, Madrid saw how the finish line was going up like a ramp for Angliru. Eight down with 3:41 to go, after Vesely's umpteenth, only the miracle remained.
Mirotic celebrates one of his baskets at the WiZInk EFE
That there was not going to be -a two plus one from MVP Mirotic with 1:38 to go was the finishing touch-, because perhaps he has already exhausted everyone to the top of the Euroleague this Madrid, exhausted and below a Barça that Jasikevicius has endowed with some mechanisms and mental strength that has led him to a well-deserved league title, the 20th in its history, the second in three years for the Lithuanian coach.