FC Barcelona Lassa v Fenerbahçe: Close encounter ends in defeat (72-73)

FC Barcelona Lassa v Fenerbahçe: Close encounter ends in defeat (72-73)

Bartzokas' team fought until the end but ended up losing by a single point in their first home Euroleague game

With the new Euroleague format, Barça Lassa will play against the best teams on the continent. The first such team was Fenerbahçe, who just beat Barça in a very close game in the Palau Blaugrana (72-3). The Turskish team clinched the victory in the final quarter and the final score reflected the tight nature of the game with only one point separating them at the final whistle.

Fenerbahçe started strongly with five three-pointers in the first quarter, however, Barça didn't let the scoreboard get away from them. Tomic, with eight points and Perperoglou, with six points, kept the home side within two points (19-21) at the end of the firsrt quarter.

Crucial three-pointers

In the second quarter, the teams were still neck and neck and the Turks continued to convert their attempts from beyond the arc, with an 8/12 success rate. Rice and Dorsey became more prominent for Barça during this quarter keeping the scores close and reaching half-time four points behind 36-40.

Barça finally managed to take the lead following two three-pointers of their own from Doellman and Perperoglou and lead until the last minute of the third quarter. Doellman went down off injured after a heavy fall and Udoh scored two free throws leaving the Catalans trailing once again (51-53).

Close game until the final seconds

The final quarter started off poorly with five unanswered points from the visitors with Dixon taking control. Rice attempted to bring Bartzokas' men back into the game but the difference grew until they were nine points behind. However, Rice scored a three pointer five minutes from time and the Catalans came back into the match with another Olesson three pointer bringing them ever so close to getting something out of the game.

It wasn't to be but Barça Lassa played admirably throughout and they refused to give up, pushing a very good time right to the dying seconds. Rice ende the game as the leading point scorer with 19 in total encapsulating a spirited display from the blaugranas.

Força Barça
Força Barça

Related to this article

Close article

Related to this article