There are rivalries that are forged over the years, after several seasons of clashes or as a result of some great controversy on the track or among the fans. There are others, however, that in a few seasons are developed by the mere competitive level of the contenders, for being, after all, two direct rivals to win the glory of being the best team in Europe. This second scenario is the one that includes the match between Barça and Anadolu Efes, which in a few seasons has gone from being just another duel to being one of those marked on the calendar for fans and players of both teams. Today the faces are seen at the Palau in a vital duel for Barça, which arrives with the desire to clear up doubts but with the fear of increasing them.
The last two clashes have been resolved with a victory for each one but with a very different meaning. Anadolu Efes won the last Euroleague, while the azulgranas won this course in Istanbul in one of the best games that Jasikevicius’ team is remembered for. Today they have the option to do it again.
And for this they will continue to have many casualties, more than in the first round match. Abrines is still out Exum is positive for Covid and both Oriola and Calathes are also not in a position to play. Yes, a Higgins will participate who is far not from his level, but from the competitive rhythm that a Euroleague game demands. At least Jasikevicius already has Laprovittola, Davies and Sergi MartÃnez who, on this occasion, have been able to train before the game.
The casualties that Barça has suffered are largely the cause of this bad run, with three consecutive defeats against Baskonia, Manresa and Milan. And not so much because of those who are missing, but also because of the wear and tear of those who are. The coaching staff has juggled to distribute minutes but has not been able to prevent the physical level of the squad from going down. And in a team that has maximum intensity and defense, that’s a problem. They are allowing more triples than usual to their rivals and poor rebound control is penalizing them.
So today Barça has a very complicated ballot but it is still a double-edged sword. If they lose, the first crisis of the Jasikevicius era would begin (on Sunday they play in Valencia) but a good victory against the European champion would erase doubts at a stroke. All or nothing.
Jasikevicius outburst
Sarunas Jasikevicius titled his biography ‘Winning is not enough’ which gives some clue about his feelings when he loses. That was the case of the match against Armani Exchange Milan, after which he attended the Euroleague microphones. The interview consisted of a single question and did not last even 30 seconds. Visibly upset, Jasikevicius asked “What’s positive? Why do we have to lie to ourselves? We have lost a game at home.”. And he left without further ado.