Barcelona Holds On to Defeat Palencia in Endesa League Thriller
Barcelona, the third-place team in the ACB League, earned a hard-fought victory at home last Sunday, 102-94, over Zunder Palencia. Palencia fought to the end, trading blows and wasting several late opportunities in the final period to close the gap. Early pressure from Palencia set a tense tone, but Barcelona answered with precision and swagger, pushing the tempo when it mattered most.
The late surge came from the visit of Jabari Parker, who finished with 18 points, and from the sharp shooting of Nikola Kalinic and Tomas Satoransky in the final minutes. While Barcelona faltered slightly in the second half, converting just 14 of 40 attempts in that stretch, they managed to protect the painted area and keep Palencia at bay. Anzejs Pasecniks, Palencia’s leading scorer with 24 points, caused headaches for the Catalan defense but could not sustain a full comeback against a Barcelona side that tightened its defense in the clutch.
Palencia’s early momentum, including a strong stretch to open the game, kept the crowd engaged as the home side failed to convert several chances in the frontcourt. Barcelona eventually found rhythm in the paint, using Satoransky’s drives and Hernangómez’s post moves to establish a foothold. Parra contributed two timely three-pointers, with Laprovittola and Parker providing scoring support to push the margin to 29-16 after the first quarter.
Parker sparked another burst for Barcelona, extending the lead to 39-22 midway through the first period. Palencia, however, refused to fade, answering with improved defense and more aggressive ball movement. A series of quick baskets and a handful of decisive defensive stops—despite a 6/5 shooting line in a stretch of the opening period—enabled Palencia to regain momentum before the end of the quarter.
Grimaud Grimau called timeouts to stem Palencia’s push as the visitors narrowed the gap to 41-32 by the middle of the second period. Barcelona grew more vertical in attack, maintaining a slim edge at halftime after Pasecniks hit from the free-throw line and the main scorers for both teams stayed productive. Benite and Parker led Barcelona’s first-half scoring with 10 and 11 points respectively, while Pasecniks contributed from the line with 11 at the break.
Brizuela and Parra amplified Barcelona’s offense in the third period, but Palencia’s zoning pressure and outside shooting kept the score tight. A continuous assault from Palencia, buoyed by Haarms and Franke, kept the score close heading into the final stretch. The Catalan defense, though stretched at times, still found answers in transition and inside positions, especially as Hernangómez spent time on the bench for tactical rest and Nnaji filled in with important contributions.
Palencia stayed within striking distance as the game wore on, with Haarms and Pasecniks producing key baskets to keep the deficit within single digits. The visitors even flirted with a lead, trimming a once comfortable cushion to a narrow margin by the late stages, thanks to a sequence of successful drives and perimeters shots that tested Barcelona’s resolve.
With the final minutes ticking down, Kalinic, Satoransky, Parker, and Nnaji delivered decisive plays for Barcelona. Nnaji stepped in for Hernangómez and delivered a critical stretch that sealed the win, as Palencia’s late attempts fell short. The end result was a fourth consecutive win for Barcelona in the Endesa League, 102-94, reflecting a balanced attack that found its footing when the game was on the line.
Data sheet:
102 – Barcelona (29+23+18+32): Satoransky (11), Laprovittola (12), Parra (8), Da Silva (8), Hernangómez (13) -first team-, Jokubaitis (10), Paulí (3), Kalinic (9), Nnaji (6), Parker (18) and Brizuela (4).
94 – Zunder Palencia (16+27+25+26): Van der Vuurst (8), Benite (17), Ortega (-), Piñeiro (8), Pasecniks (24) -starting team-, Haarms (13), Frankamp (7), Franke (9), Kamba (8) and Rodríguez (-)
Referees: Emilio Pérez Pizarro, Jorge Martínez and Yasmina Alcaraz. They issued a technical foul to visiting coach Luis Gil in the 39th minute and disqualified Van der Vuurst at 40 minutes. The officiating crew maintained strict control throughout the match.
Events: The 20th matchday of the Endesa League drew 5,521 spectators to the Palau Blaugrana in Barcelona.
Note: This summary reflects the actions and outcomes of the game as recorded in the official box score. (Endesa League official box score.)