2008-09Top 16Round 5
March 04, 2009 CET: 20:00
Local time: 20:00 PALAU BLAUGRANA

Barcelona downed Real Madrid 90-79

Regal FC Barcelona advanced to the Quarterfinal Playoffs and climbed atop the Top 16 Group F standings by thrashing archrivals Real Madrid 90-79 in front of a sellout crowd at Palau Blaugrana in the Spanish superclassic on Wednesday night. The two teams are now tied atop the Group F standings with 4-1 records, but Barcelona has the tiebreak advantage over Madrid due to its narrow 85-83 road loss in Palacio Vistalegre in late January. Barcelona will win Group F if it beats Maccabi Electra in Tel Aviv next week. Meanwhile, Madrid, which had already qualified last week, will be first if it downs Alba and Maccabi beats Barcelona. David Andersen led Barca with 22 points, while Juan Carlos Navarro recorded 16 points and 6 assists. Fran Vazquez and Gianluca Basile added 11 each for the winners. Marko Tomas paced Madrid with 18 points, Louis Bullock netted 15 and Sergio Llull and Tomas Van den Spiegel added 11 each. Navarro and Ersan Ilyasova helped Barcelona take a 30-21 edge after 10 minutes. The game turned into a physical battle in the second quarter and Barcelona made the most out of it to get a double-digit lead, 48-38, at halftime. Bullock kept Madrid within 57-47 after the break, but an outstanding Andersen and a three-pointer by a recovered Jaka Lakovic broke the game open, 70-49. Madrid never recovered, as Barcelona cruised to a critical home win that came with a playoff berth and the chance to win its Top 16 group.

Madrid coach Joan Plaza shocked everyone by placing Van den Spiegel and newcomer Kennedy Winston in the starting lineup. Victor Sada got Barcelona going with a three-pointer from the corner and Daniel Santiago added a free throw for a 4-0 lead. Madrid went scoreless for more than two minutes until Bullock nailed a six-meter jumper. but Navarro immediately answered from downtown and added his trademark "bomba" for a 9-2 Barca lead. Van den Spiegel scored down low and Bullock sank a triple to keep Madrid within 9-7. Andersen joined the three-point shootout before Axel Hervelle and Sada traded layups. Lubos Barton buried a mid-range jumper that Llull bettered with a triple to bring Madrid within 16-13.. Navarro sank 4 free throws, but Llull struck again from downtown. Ilyasova took over with a fast break layup and foul shots by Basile and Vazquez boosted the hosts' lead to 26-17. Ilyasova stepped up with an easy layup that capped a 9-1 run and soon added free throws, but Felipe Reyes single-handedly kept Madrid within 30-21 after 10 intense minutes.

Barcelona kept dominating the boards early in the second quarter with Ilyasova and Vazquez together on court. Meanwhile, Basile nailed a triple coming off a screen to make it a 12-point game. Tomas followed free throws with an off-balance layup-plus-foul to bring Madrid back to life, 33-26. Basile buried an outstanding jumper that Jeremiah Massey matched with foul shots. Vazquez found space for an easy dunk, causing Madrid to call timeout at 37-28. Vazquez slammed it again before being awarded a standing ovation as he returned to the bench. Bullock beat the shot clock buzzer with a triple, but free throws by Basile restored a double-digit Barcelona lead, 41-31. Bullock and Navarro traded foul shots and a layup by Andersen kept the hosts way ahead at 45-33. Madrid kept missing open shots until Van den Spiegel scored around the basket, but Andersen answered with a jump hook. Free throws by Van den Spiegel, Andersen and Bullock fixed the halftime score at 48-38.

Vazquez sank a baseline jumper immediately after the break, but Mumbru answered from downtown to bring Madrid within single digits, 50-41. Andersen and Bullock traded three-pointers while a power layup by Vazquez got the crowd involved at 55-44. Andersen shined with a fast break layup, but free throws by Bullock kept Madrid within 57-47. Andersen took over with a reverse layup and had a big block on Mumbru that allowed Barton to bury a big three-pointer at the other end, making Madrid call timeout at 62-47. Andersen came through with a smooth move in the low post, which Hervelle erased with free throws. A technical foul on Reyes allowed Barton and Navarro to hit foul shots and a three-pointer by Lakovic broke the game open, 70-49. Massey tried to change things with a power layup, but Barcelona kept full control now. Massey shined with a tip-in, but Basile scored off a steal for a 74-53 Barcelona lead. Llull followed free throws with a three-pointer to get Madrid within 74-58 after 30 minutes.

Ilyasova buried a three-pointer early in the fourth quarter, as Madrid could not find the way to the basket because of the hosts' outstanding man-to-man defense. Navarro fed Daniel Santiago for an easy layup that restored a 21-point margin. Van den Spiegel tried to change things for Madrid, but Sada swished a six-meter jumper that Navarro followed with a seven-meter bomb that sealed the outcome, 84-59. Everything was said and done already but Madrid kept fighting. Reyes sank a three-pointer – his first in 85 Euroleague career games – as Barcelona tried to run the game clock down and please its crowd with alley-oop attempts. Andersen sank a five-meter jumper and Van den Spiegel and Tomas tried to erase the deficit for Madrid. Nothing changed in the final three minutes as the Barcelona fans were already celebrating a very special win against its archrival that could be the key for their team to get the home-court advantage in the upcoming playoffs.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Javier Gancedo, Barcelona
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Referees: BRAZAUSKAS, ROMUALDAS; KOUKOULEKIDIS, STELIOS; CICORIA, GIANPAOLO
Attendance: 7592
By Quarter1234
Regal FC Barcelona30182616
Real Madrid21172021
End of Quarter1234
Regal FC Barcelona30487490
Real Madrid21385879
Regal FC Barcelona
  Rebounds Blocks Fouls
# Player Min Pts 2FG 3FG FT O D T As St To Fv Ag Cm Rv PIR
5 BASILE, GIANLUCA 22:28 11 2/2 1/3 4/4   1 1 1 3 3     2 2 11
6 BARRETT, ANDRE DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
8 TRIAS, JORDI DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
9 BARTON, LUBOS 16:51 6 1/1 1/3 1/2 1   1 2 1         1 8
10 LAKOVIC, JAKA 11:45 3   1/2     1 1 4         1   6
11 NAVARRO, JUAN CARLOS 30:03 16 1/4 2/4 8/8   2 2 6 3 2     2 7 25
13 ANDERSEN, DAVID 25:27 22 6/9 3/6 1/2 1 3 4 1     1   3 4 22
17 VAZQUEZ, FRAN 22:51 11 4/5   3/6 2 2 4 1     3   4 5 16
21 ILYASOVA, ERSAN 19:33 9 2/4 1/3 2/2 1 4 5     1 1   3 1 8
24 SADA, VICTOR 28:15 7 2/2 1/1   2 1 3 3 2 3     4   8
25 SANTIAGO, DANIEL 12:06 5 1/2   3/4       1 1 2 1   4 2 2
44 GRIMAU, ROGER 10:41   0/1 0/1                   4   -6
Team           1 3 4     1       1 4
Totals 200:00 90 19/30 10/23 22/28 8 17 25 19 10 12 6 0 27 23 104
        63.3% 43.5% 78.6%
Head coach: PASCUAL, XAVI
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
Real Madrid
  Rebounds Blocks Fouls
# Player Min Pts 2FG 3FG FT O D T As St To Fv Ag Cm Rv PIR
4 MIROTIC, NIKOLA 2:06   0/1                         -1
6 SANCHEZ, PEPE 15:04         1   1 2 1       2   2
8 WINSTON, KENNEDY 13:48   0/1     1 2 3 2       1     3
9 REYES, FELIPE 18:46 7 1/5 1/1 2/2 2 1 3 1   2   2 4 6 5
12 VAN DEN SPIEGEL, TOMAS 20:47 11 3/4   5/10 3 1 4   1 2     3 6 11
15 MUMBRU, ALEX 15:31 4 0/4 1/1 1/2   1 1     2   1 3 1 -5
17 HERVELLE, AXEL 19:36 7 1/1 1/2 2/2 3 2 5   1 2     3 2 9
21 MASSEY, JEREMIAH 18:37 6 2/5   2/3 3 2 5   1 2     3 4 7
22 BULLOCK, LOUIS 27:11 15 1/4 2/6 7/7 1 2 3 4   5   1 2 3 10
23 LLULL, SERGIO 22:12 11 0/2 3/6 2/2 1 2 3 2       1 2 3 11
24 LOPEZ, RAUL 12:58   0/4 0/1         2 2 2     1   -4
33 TOMAS, MARKO 13:24 18 3/4 3/4 3/3 2 1 3     1       2 20
Team           2 2 4   1           5
Totals 200:00 79 11/35 11/21 24/31 19 16 35 13 7 18 0 6 23 27 73
        31.4% 52.4% 77.4%
Head coach: PLAZA, JOAN

Head Coaches

PASCUAL, XAVI
Regal FC Barcelona
"We are very happy with this win. I am especially happy for my players, who work hard every day for games like these. It has been a high-rhythm game. We played a good first quarter to get the first leads, which were important for the game's development. We reached the foul bonus very early in the second quarter and Madrid went to the foul line often. Even with that, we managed to keep a 10-point lead. I think we played very well in the third quarter, offense and defense, and managed to break open the game. We saw how great a team Madrid is in the fourth quarter, as they fought for every possession until the final buzzer. It is tough to play in this court trailing by 21. They managed to close the game well. It was a great game, our fans were great just as they always are in these games. This win is for them. I am satisfied with this win, first because it came with a playoff berth and second, because we depend on ourselves to win this Top 16 group. We have a very tough game to play in Tel Aviv and will have to go one step higher to win it. It will be very difficult because Maccabi is a great team and Tel Aviv is a city were basketball is very important. They will play for their pride and that turns the game into a very tough one. Madrid and Barcelona did a very good job in this Top 16. Both teams had a great run in a very complicated group like this."
PLAZA, JOAN
Real Madrid
"Congratulations to Barcelona once again this season. I hope that things will be different next time we will meet. Barcelona was better tonight and there is little to add about it. If you want to beat a team like Regal FCB you have to play at a very good level for 40 minutes. You have to commit fewer turnovers and, even with that, you will reach a balanced finish. We had a bad first quarter, allowing a lot of points, accumulating easy turnovers. We had technical and unsportsmanlike fouls. When you do that, those are added gifts to the party, which we have to avoid. I cannot complain about the desire and attitude of my players tonight. We needed to be tougher and Barcelona played more physical than us. That is something we have to learn for the near future, the Quarterfinal Playoffs. We managed to beat CSKA and Maccabi Electra on the road but if you want to win here, you need something more that we didn't have tonight. We may finish second with a 5-1 record, something that may not happen in any other group. Everyone would have taken the chance to finish 5-1 and get into the playoffs from this group, with Barcelona and Maccabi, before the start of the phase."

Players

LAKOVIC, JAKA
Regal FC Barcelona
"The key to this win was our great effort on defense. We were also focused on offense and I think that we were better than Madrid for 35 minutes on both ends of the court. We lost our concentration a bit in the final five minutes and allowed some three-pointers. It was not necessary for us, but it was not important since the outcome of the game was clear already. We won deservedly. It is great to be back on court. It has been just three weeks since my operation and I am back on court to play. I have to give all the credit to our medical team, who made that possible."
ANDERSEN, DAVID
Regal FC Barcelona
"We were focused. It was a very important game, with a lot of pressure, as we all knew we had to win by more than three points. We did a good job, shut them up early and kept a safe lead when they tried to come back. We are very happy with this win, because it allows us to have to chance to finish first in this group. The third quarter was crucial for us. Real Madrid is a team that comes back all the time. They always make a run in the fourth quarter, like they did today, too. We did not allow them to have a chance to get back in the game. We have to beat Maccabi in Tel Aviv now. It is going to be the most important game so far. We hope to go there, get the win and claim the first spot."
HERVELLE, AXEL
Real Madrid
"We didn't have a good start in the first and third quarters. We paid a high price for that. They played a great game but we have to look forward. We were already qualified before the game, of course. They have to play against Maccabi next week while we host Alba. We still have chances to finish first even when it will be very complicated. They played very aggressive on offense, got a lot of easy points and, once again, they played an excellent game against us. We did all we could, but Barcelona is in great shape lately."
REYES, FELIPE
Real Madrid
"Their defense was the biggest key to this game. Not only they were really focused in offense, but they played strong and aggressive defense, too. They knew all our systems and anticipated all of our plays. We didn't have a good game on defense and did not manage to match their intensity and attitude. We can still finish first in this group but it will be complicated because Maccabi hosts Barcelona with no chance to qualify. We still have some hope to finish first, but what we have to do is improve our game, our defense. We shouldn't be worried about anything else right now."
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