FC Barcelona - Real Madrid: They fought until the end (79-83)

It wasn’t meant to be. FC Barcelona were unable to claim the first title of the season after they fell to Real Madrid by 79 to 83. Ante Tomic’s 21 points and 15 points and 9 assists from Huertas were not enough to stop Laso’s men, who were more consistent throughout the crucial moments of the game.

Madrid, a well-rounded team

Madrid’s strength was evident from the first minute of the game. Their accuracy from the exterior – five three pointers in the first quarter – hurt a Barça side that couldn’t find the right way to stop Madrid’s attacking power. A shot from Darden put Madrid up by more than 10 points (15-26), but Huertas brought Barça back within eight by the end of the quarter (21-29).

The game changes

A single play changed the match in the second quarter. A fight between Sada and Carroll, which saw the American ejected from the match, resulted in an unfocused Madrid. The scoreline went from 26 to 33 to 42 to 41 thanks to Brad Oleson, who led his team in the second quarter. Despite the fightback, the most decisive Madrid player, Sergio Rodríguez, kept his team in the game and managed to give Madrid the lead at the break (44-46).

Madrid take control

The third quarter saw Madrid reestablish its dominance in the match. They improved defensively, they pounced on the defensive rebound and they made sure to force Barça into difficult shooting positions. The 47-46 thanks to Abrines proved to be a mirage, seeing that Madrid hit back with a 9 to 17 run. The teams went into the final quarter with 56 to 63 on the scoreboard.

Barça react

In the last ten minutes, even though Madrid established an 11-point lead (56-67), FC Barcelona clawed its way back into the match. Little by little Pascual’s men came within two points of the lead thanks to a three pointer from Kostas Papanikolaou (69-71, min 37). Tomic was by far the best Barça player in the final quarter, but Madrid were on target from the free throw line and they took the match and the Spanish Super Cup title with a final scoreline of 79 to 83.