In Game 4 of the ACB League semifinals, FC Barcelona defeated Joventut Badalona in a hard battle on the court. Coach Jasikevicius's side conquered the win through their defense in an exciting ending with the final score of 63-60 (13-14, 6-14, 21-11,23-21), advancing to the finals where they will face Real Madrid.
Nikola Mirotic led the route for Barca, posting 20 points (4/5 2PT, 3/8 3PT, 3/4 FT), 7 rebounds, and 18 PIR.
On the opposing side, Ante Tomic was the high-scorer for Joventut, ending with 15 points (6/15 2PT, 3/6 FT), 13 rebounds, and 23 PIR.
Powered by balanced team efforts and a 10-0 scoring run, Joventut created a double-digit lead at the start of the second quarter (24-13).
They maintained their solid advantage until the first half ended (28-19), because of their very solid defense against a powerhouse from Barcelona. The visitors managed to score only 6 points during the whole second quarter.
Barca responded at the start of the third period. Nicola Mirotic, Cory Higgins, and Nick Calathes-led visitors aranged a 15-4 spurt to retake the lead by 1 after the third (40-39).
Led by Nikola Mirotic‘s 7 points in a row, Barca built their biggest lead of the game (54-46) with 3:50 left.
But it was not the end, Derrick Willis answered with 6 straight points and trimmed the deficit just to 2 points (54-56) with 2:02 remaining.
Ante Tomic tied the game (56-56), but Nick Calathes responded with a floater on the other end (58-56) with 56 seconds left.
The hosts missed very important shots in two consecutive possessions, while Nikola Mirotic and Cory Higgins‘ free-throws fortified the advantage (63-60) for the visitors.
The desperate full-court shot by Simon Birgander was off the mark and Barca celebrated a hard-fought victory on the road.
Joventut fans create electric atmosphere in the arena:
Barcelona: Nikola Mirotic 20 (7 REB), Cory Higgins 13 (6 REB), Nick Calathes 12 (6 REB, 5 AST).
Joventut: Ante Tomic 15 (13 REB, 23 PIR), Derek Willis 14 (5 REB).
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