Real Madrid 78-87 Barça: Blaugranes begin year with great win

Barça started the New Year in the best way possible with a 887-78 win in the Wizink Center over Real Madrid in the league. The blaugranes now have won five games in a row in the regular league season in Madrid, a run that started back in 2017. The victory leaves Saras Jasikevicius' team in second place in the table, level with Real Madrid on 11 wins and 3 defeats. 

The visitors were able to adapt to circumstances in the game at key moments with Kalinic outstanding and Laprovittola and Higgins contributing 19 and 18 points respectively. 

Scoring start

Saras' team begin in a hurry with 12 points in the opening three minutes to take five point lead. Six of the eight players involved had opened their accounts for Barça, however, a Real Madrid comeback saw the lead cut to 28-26 at the end of the first quarter. 

Defenses take hold 

In the second quarter both teams' defenses took control of the encounter with the scoring pace of the first quarter dropping in the second. Barça moved into a seven point lead in the quarter but an period 11-2 in favour of Real Madrid allowed them to lead 44-42 at half time. 

In the second half the defensive intensity continued and in the third quarter errors from both sides kept things even before a surge from the blaugranes allowed them to lead 62-57 with the final quarter still to come. 

Final push 

In the final quarter the game remained tight and Madrid pulled back to 62-62. Barça, led by Corey Higgins, burst ahead in the final minutes to take a nine point lead at one point which they held until the final hooter at 87-78. The blaugranes' next game at in Europe against Virtus Bologna on Thursday 5 January at 8.30pm CET. 

MATCH STATS

Real Madrid, 78
Barça, 87

Real Madrid: Williams-Goss (5), Musa (14), Deck (8), Yabusele (14), Tavares (19) – starting five – Causer (2), Abalde (-), Hezonja (1), Poirier (10), Rodríguez (-) and Llull (5)

Barça: Satoransky (4), Laprovittola (19), Kalinic (9), Mirotic (12), Vesely (11) – starting five – Da Silva (7), Sanli (7), Higgins (18) and Jokubaitis (-)