Barça suffered a 76-71 defeat at Casademont Zaragoza on a Saturday that found them more hungry and determined. The visitors fought hard to the final buzzer, with newcomers Christian Mekowulu and Frankie Ferrari guiding the charge while the home crowd stayed engaged and the rest of the team followed suit. It turned into a dramatic clash rather than a sensational swing, as Alex Abrines poured in 26 points while knocking down seven of eight from beyond the arc.
Just two days after Barça’s setback against Unicaja in Palau, a 63-73 result, the team faced the looming challenge of the Euroleague quarterfinals, a best-of-five series against Bayern that would begin soon after this league matchup.
With Cory Higgins sidelined by injury, coach Saras trusted the veterans and kept a lean rotation. Sergi Martínez sat out as a precaution, while Michael Caicedo and James Nnaji remained unavailable. Zaragoza, arriving with relief after a 80-73 win over Monbus Obradoiro, knew that a victory by Betis over Andorra had compressed the group standings and intensified the need to keep winning.
Barça jumped ahead early, building a five-point lead thanks to Nikola Mirotic’s scoring and a few inside looks by the towering Icelandic center Hlinason. Abrines, however, delivered an early burst of energy, closing the first period with five points and keeping the scoreboard tight at 11-16.
The former Oklahoma City guard had his day in full display, knocking in two more triples before a miss and an offensive lull that briefly slowed Barça. The home side answered with a more physical defensive effort and an offensive push by Adam Waczynski and the rising Sean Kilpatrick, who began to carry more responsibility for Zaragoza as the game unfolded.
Casademont Zaragoza managed to tie the game with three free throws near the end of a tense first half. Waczynski benefited from a single free throw in a sequence that narrowed the gap to 30-33. In a moment that added to the drama, Mekowulu fouled hard on Exum as he looked to accelerate to the rim, drawing a controversial call. The Australian wing did not miss, sending the teams to halftime with Zaragoza ahead 30-35.
Casademont returned with purpose, trading baskets as Santi Yusta, a former Madridista, drilled a triple to push the lead back to two possessions. Abrines answered with two more three-pointers and climbed to nineteen points, while his team extended the lead to 37-46 before another late foul on Şanlı frustrated the flow of the game.
Barça attempted to reassert control after Mirotic drew Radoncic into a fourth foul with a strong move underneath the basket, cutting the deficit to 45-54 as the third quarter moved along. The Spanish side sensed an opportunity to swing momentum, but as the period closed, Zaragoza still held a modest advantage and Barça faced an uphill battle to reclaim the initiative.
Late in the third, rebounds by Waczynski and Mekowulu helped Barça tighten the score, and Kuric followed with a pair of baskets to leave the scoreboard at 51-58. A risky moment at the start of the final period, an ill-advised decision by Jokubaitis, briefly allowed Barcelona to gain ground, but the refereeing drew attention for its calls during the stretch.
Jokubaitis pulled the trigger on a key three to keep Barça within reach, while Ferrari answered for Zaragoza with a late three that kept the scoreboard moving at a brisk tempo. Barça retook the lead briefly after Abrines connected twice more from deep and Ferrari matched with a basket of his own, bringing the score to 61-67 in favor of Barça before Zaragoza responded with another critical push.
In the last minutes, Barça battled to stay within striking distance, but a couple of unforced errors and missed free throws allowed Zaragoza to extend the gap. The home team held on to win 76-71, a result that did not derail Jasikevicius’ long-term plans, though it did leave the coach visibly frustrated about how the game had unfolded in the late moments.
Data sheet
76 – Casademont Zaragoza (scoring by quarters: eleven, nineteen, twenty-one, twenty-five): San Miguel, Yusta, Radoncic, Hlinason started; Kilpatrick, Ferrari, Mekowulu and Waczynski added significant contributions.
71 – FC Barcelona (scoring by quarters: sixteen, nineteen, twenty-three, thirteen): Laprovittola, Exum, Mirotic, Abrines, Kuric, Jokubaitis made important plays; Sanli, Smits, Hayes, Davies contributed as well.
Referees: Jordi Aliaga, Javier Torres and Joaquín Garcia. Mekowulu was removed from the game for personal reasons.
Incidence: The match coincided with the 29th week of the league and was played before 5,732 spectators at the Príncipe Felipe pavilion in Zaragoza.