Herbalife Gran Canària 95-82 FC Barcelona Lassa: Price paid for slow start

Herbalife Gran Canària 95-82 FC Barcelona Lassa: Price paid for slow start

A 13-3 streak in the very first period sets up a difference that the Catalans, despite a magnificent display from Navarro, never manage to cut back down

Barça Lassa are coming back from the Canary Islands empty handed after failing to recover from going a miserable 13-3 at the start. Not even 19 points each from Navarro and Tomic could turn things around against a Herbalife Gran Canaria that has now strung together eight consecutive wins.

The home side got the physicality right, and with short possessions and aggressive defending started building on their lead, while Barça’s slow start wasn’t helped by an injury to Brad Oleson.

Tomic’s impressive 14 rebounds managed to close the gap to 50-33 to give some hope to a Barça Lassa that started losing fewer turnovers and finally started causing difficulties to the Gran Canaria defence – but going into the final period, there was still a 17 point gap between the sides, although it was Barça that was definitely on the up, and all hope was by no means lost.

The Catalans gave it their best shot in the final ten minutes, with a Navarro three followed by a trademark ‘bomb’ plus two from Tomic squeezing things down to 79-65 with eight minutes to play. Navarro ended the period with eleven points but the islanders always managed to find at least something in the tank to throw back. Barça had climbed most of the mountain, but unfortunately, the mountain was just that little bit too high and the Gran Canaria Arena could celebrate another victory.

Barça now have a full week off before the next Liga fixture on Sunday 8 at 12:30 at home to Tecnyconta Zaragoza.

Força Barça
Força Barça

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