2018-19Regular SeasonRound 29
FC Barcelona Lassa 95
Buducnost VOLI Podgorica 83
March 28, 2019 CET: 21:00
Local time: 21:00 PALAU BLAUGRANA

Barcelona secures 5th place, learns playoff opponent

FC Barcelona Lassa beat visiting Buducnost VOLI Podgorica 95-83 to secure a fifth-place regular season finish on Thursday night at Palau Blaugrana. Barcelona, which improved to 17-12, will face Anadolu Efes Istanbul in the best-of-five playoffs. Adam Hanga paced the winners with 18 points, while Rolands Smits contributed with a career-high 14 points. Ante Tomic collected 11 points plus 9 rebounds in the victory. Danilo Nikolic netted a career-best 25 points on 5-for-7 three-point shooting for Buducnost, while James Bell and Nemanja Gordic had 11 points apiece in defeat.

Gordic and Nikolic each scored a pair of baskets early before back-to-back triples from Bell and Edwin Jackson made it 6-16. Hanga scored 10 first-quarter points, including consecutive threes, to get Barcelona going. A triple from Smits late in the first and a downtown shot from Pau Ribas to start the second quarter gave Barcelona its first lead, 24-22. Smits then strung together 7 points, scoring twice from close range and hitting from long distance. Pierre Oriola followed it up with a three of his own for a 38-26 advantage. However, Buducnost answered with a 0-8 run that saw Bell and Nikolic hit threes and Bell knocked down another to put the visitors back in front, 41-42. Buducnost went into halftime up 44-46. Threes from Nikolic and Norris Cole made it 46-52. However, Hanga fueled a 9-0 run and the hosts never trailed again. Kyle Kuric and Thomas Heurtel were in the main roles for the hosts, while Gordic hit a pair and Cole another three-pointer for Buducnost. Singleton's triple made it 72-69 after three quarters. Kevin Pangos hit back-to-back shots from behind the arc to open the fourth. Nikolic knocked down a jumper and his fifth three-pointer to cut the deficit to 4 points, but Tomic and Smits scored from close range to make it 89-78 with 3:28 to go before Barcelona closed out the game.

Learning its playoff opponent

The EuroLeague playoffs have their first pairing: Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs. FC Barcelona Lassa. Efes will have the home-court advantage. Efes secured fourth place last week with a win against Buducnost and now Barcelona secured fifth place also with a win against Buducnost. Interestingly, while Efes had never before won a playoff series, Barcelona has never won in the EuroLeague playoffs without home-court advantage.

Great impression

Rolands Smits scored in double digits for the third time in the last four appearances. He has now played in 10 games during his rookie campaign and in this one in less than 16 minutes on the floor had 14 points and a PIR 16, both career highs.

Hidden stat

Barcelona tied for a season-low 14 personal fouls in this game. No Barcelona player committed a foul until there were 2.9 seconds left in the first quarter.

Did you notice?

Buducnost starting forward Earl Clark and center Goga Bitadze watched this game in civilian clothing from the bench. Clark had started all 28 games this season for Buducnost until this one.

Next game

Buducnost will finish its participation in this season’s Turkish Airlines EuroLeague with a road game against Panathinaikos OPAP Athens, in which the Greens will be trying to clinch a playoff spot. Meanwhile, Barcelona ends the regular season at home against Khimki Moscow Region.

Adam Hanga - FC Barcelona Lassa - EB18
Thursday, March 28, 2019
Euroleague.net
Referees: PATERNICO, CARMELO; MANTYLA, PETRI; RACYS, SAULIUS
Attendance: 4784
By Quarter1234
FC Barcelona Lassa21232823
Buducnost VOLI Podgorica22242314
End of Quarter1234
FC Barcelona Lassa21447295
Buducnost VOLI Podgorica22466983
FC Barcelona Lassa
  Rebounds Blocks Fouls
# Player Min Pts 2FG 3FG FT O D T As St To Fv Ag Cm Rv PIR
3 PANGOS, KEVIN 17:05 8 1/1 2/3     1 1 3   2     4 2 7
5 RIBAS, PAU 17:23 3   1/3     3 3 3 2 1       1 9
6 SINGLETON, CHRIS 24:05 6 0/1 2/4     2 2   4 1     1 2 9
8 HANGA, ADAM 24:18 18 3/6 2/4 6/6 1 3 4 4 2       1 4 26
9 BLAZIC, JAKA DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
10 SMITS, ROLANDS 15:55 14 3/3 2/3 2/3   1 1 1     1   1 2 16
13 HEURTEL, THOMAS 22:55 7 3/4 0/1 1/2   1 1 6   2       2 11
14 PUSTOVYI, ARTEM 9:08 6 2/3   2/2 1 1 2           2 2 7
18 ORIOLA, PIERRE 12:50 8 2/2 1/2 1/4   3 3 1         1 3 10
24 KURIC, KYLE 30:30 11 4/7 0/3 3/4 2 1 3 2 1       1 3 12
30 CLAVER, VICTOR 7:49 3   1/1         1     1     1 6
44 TOMIC, ANTE 18:02 11 5/8   1/2 4 5 9 3   3   1 3 1 13
Team           1 2 3     2         1
Totals 200:00 95 23/35 11/24 16/23 9 23 32 24 9 11 2 1 14 23 127
        65.7% 45.8% 69.6%
Head coach: PESIC, SVETISLAV
Min: Minutes played; Pts: Points; 2FG M-A: 2-point Field Goals (Made-Attempted); 3FG M-A: 3-point Field Goals (Made-Attempted); FT M-A: Free Throws (Made-Attempted); Rebounds: O (Offensive), D (Defensive), T (Total); As: Assists; St: Steals; To: Turnovers; Bl: Blocks (Fv: In Favor / Ag: Against); Fouls: Cm (Commited), Rv (Received); PIR: Performance Index Rating
Buducnost VOLI Podgorica
  Rebounds Blocks Fouls
# Player Min Pts 2FG 3FG FT O D T As St To Fv Ag Cm Rv PIR
1 JACKSON, EDWIN 29:04 9 3/7 1/4 0/1 1 2 3 3   2   1 1 2 5
3 COLE, NORRIS 23:20 9 1/5 2/6 1/2 1 1 2 3 1 3     4 4 3
4 SEHOVIC, SUAD DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
6 BAROVIC, FILIP 27:39 9 3/5   3/4 1   1 4   1   1 4 3 8
7 CLARKE, COTY 16:49 4 2/3 0/2   2 2 4 1 1 1     4   2
8 SEHOVIC, SEAD 7:56 2 1/2     2 1 3               4
10 GORDIC, NEMANJA 23:02 11 3/4 1/1 2/2   4 4 2 1 2     2 3 16
30 POPOVIC, PETAR 9:08     0/2   1 1 2     1         -1
31 BELL, JAMES 27:30 11 1/3 3/4     3 3 1 1 1     4   8
34 NIKOLIC, DANILO 27:41 25 5/7 5/7   2 2 4 1 1 2 1   4   22
41 WILLIAMS, DEVIN 7:51 3 0/1   3/4                 1 2 2
Team           1 1 2               2
Totals 200:00 83 19/37 12/26 9/13 11 17 28 15 5 13 1 2 24 14 71
        51.4% 46.2% 69.2%
Head coach: REPESA, JASMIN

Players

KURIC, KYLE
FC Barcelona Lassa
"It was a very difficult game, a lot harder than we expected. They played very well. Our defense was lacking until the very end. We finally made the plays to get the win, but it was a very difficult win."
HANGA, ADAM
FC Barcelona Lassa
"It was a tough game, that’s what we expected. We knew Buducnost was going to come here to play without any pressure. They played a pretty good game. I wish them all the luck, they showed they can play in this EuroLeague, they can compete. On our part, we are happy for the win, we will continue to get better and get ready for the playoffs. It was a special moment before the game and a very emotional game from my side [because of my grandfather passing]. The last couple of weeks have been tough for me and my family, but I would not be here without him."
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