Barcelona faced a tough setback in the Endesa League quarterfinals, as Gran Canaria pushed through with a veteran showing led by Ennis scoring 26 points and Khalifa Diop adding 15 points and 4 rebounds. An epic late basket by Higgins sealed an 86-88 victory for the island team, setting up a dramatic semi-final showdown.
From the opening minutes, neither side found easy success from the perimeter. The Claretians leaned into Khalifa Diop’s interior versatility, while Barcelona spread their offense with Smits, Exum, and Mirotic acting as the main pillars. Albicy connected from outside as the visitors found an early 8-6 balance.
The Claretians sought control by leveraging Diop’s interior impact, showcasing a nine-point advantage through six minutes. Laprovittola steadied the ship for Barcelona at 3:75, but shooting percentages remained low for both teams at this stage, making every possession a grind.
Gran Canaria found some rhythm with Pustovyi contributing 16-11 on the scoreboard, while Higgins and Jakubaitis kept the deficit close, leaving the end of the first period at a two-point margin for the islanders (18-15).
In the second period, fouls disrupted the inside game for Gran Canaria, with Balcerowski picking up his third and Pustovyi picking up two. Porfi Fisac turned to Diop for offense, including a well-timed alley-oop after a Dylan Ennis assist. The azulgrana answered with guarded play from Higgins and Davies, narrowing the gap to 29-28.
As Exum and Smits controlled the flow, Barcelona started to press late in the frame, and Ennis, Chery, and Brussino answered with timely three-pointers to stretch the advantage, forcing another break for Barça coach Sarunas Jasikevicius. Exum and Mirotic kept the visitors in contention as the quarter closed with a score of 42-36.
Laprovittola resurfaced from deep to tighten the margin, while Mirotic added points from the line. Shurna and Diop carried Gran Canaria into a slight break (46-41) at the half.
After the break, Pustovyi returned with a boost from the Gran Canaria bench, extending the lead to ten (54-44). A series of penalties and an unsportsmanlike foul by Brussino briefly swung momentum Barcelona’s way, allowing them to spark a 0-9 run to trim the gap to 54-53.
Gran Canaria answered with a break from Fisac, moving ahead to 60-55, but personals began to mount for the locals. Azulgrana swung back with triples from Mirotic and Laprovittola, only to see Ennis and a late trio restore a six-point rush for the visitors (66-63) as the final stanza approached.
The Ennis effect continued to disrupt Barcelona, with Chery, Salvó, and Stevic stalling the azulgrana attack, necessitating a technical timeout for Jasikevicius. A brief spell of balanced defense followed, bringing the score to 78-78 with 3:53 remaining.
From that moment, the game became a tight exchange of baskets and misses. A decisive basket from Mirotic gave Barcelona the edge with 1:40 left, only for Slaughter to answer and set up a final moment of drama. A crucial foul by Shurna sent Laprovittola to the line for free throws, and in the closing seconds Ennis forced a triple opportunity for Gran Canaria with four seconds remaining. Higgins then produced the late heroics for Barcelona, delivering the final stretch and securing an 86-88 win as Gran Canaria’s hopes faded at the final whistle.
Data sheet:
86 – Gran Canaria: Albicy, Brussino, Slaughter, Shurna, K. Diop; Balcerowski, Pustovyi, Stevic, Chery, Salvó, Ennis (26)
88 – FC Barcelona: Exum, Smits, Laprovittola (17), Mirotic (21), Calathes; Davies, S. Martínez, Oriola, Higgins (12), Kuric, Jakubaitis (7)
Referees: Juan Carlos Garcia González, Jorge Martínez and Esperanza Mendoza. John Shurna was ruled out by staff margin.
Events: The second quarterfinal in the Endesa League playoffs, played before 7,029 fans at Gran Canaria Arena. Barcelona defeated Gran Canaria 2-0 in the series and advanced to the league semifinals, continuing their pursuit of the title.