Don't ask him to do magic, just work and more work. There will be a lot of that. He Barça He didn't play a particularly brilliant game against ASVEL Villeurbannebut the game simmered for 35 minutes and squeezed the final five to take the win, 88-78the first of Xavi Pascual in the Euroleague and also in the Palau on his return.
First glimpses of the hand of Pascualwhich is already noticeable: More defensive solidity, and that's where the game was won by Barcelonaand more contributions from players who will be very important, such as Joel Parra and especially Dario Brizuelaunderused by Peñarroya this season. Also quality minutes of Juani Marcos to give rest to Satoransky. The lowering of Laprovittola (three or four weeks), will give it more prominence.
Xavi Pascual gestures during the match at the Palau.
The best minutes of Barça they coincided with Brizuela y Marcos on the track, and also with a Kevin Punter tremendous, author of 24 points and 33 rating. Extraordinary too Shengelia15 points.
At 75-69 with 5:57 remaining was when the Barça They pushed harder, in defense, and performed better in attack, that was when they established the maximum differences, they won 84-71, and secured the victory against, yes, the bottom of the Euroleague.
Until then, the ASVEL withstood the push of the Barça in a muddy game, with many stoppages thanks to free kicks. At rest, the ASVEL He was 20/22 from 4.60, at the end of the game it was 26/33. He Barçatraveled to that same line 24 times to score 19.
While the ASVEL if you ordered De Colo (22 points and 34 rating) and at the whistle Heurtel (six points in a row and little more), the Barça He relied on the offensive rebound (19), on his rival's horrible three-point percentage (22.2% with 4/18), and on a Kevin Punter which destroyed the French defense.
All that until the last minutes arrived in which Barça managed to dismast its rival to end up achieving the team's eighth victory in the Euroleague. And perhaps, most importantly, the first for his new coach in the Euroleague and in the Palau in a team that is already feeling his hand.
