Barcelona's basketball classic against Madrid goes down to the wire once again

In a game that could have been a turning point, a breakthrough against their eternal rival, Barcelona showed pride and raised their competitive level, but suffered their third consecutive defeat this season against Real Madrid in a tightly contested final decided by details. Metu kept the WiZink Center on edge with his last triple shot, which could have meant victory for Barcelona. However, the ball bounced off the rim, confirming that the blaugrana are still immersed in a losing streak, with eleven defeats in their last 17 games. Another close ending with the wrong outcome. Despite the narrow score and the good performance for most of the minutes, the situation of the project led by Peñarroya on the sidelines remains critical, casting doubt on their presence in the Copa del Rey for the first time in the club's history and being out of the Euroleague playoff after the first round.

In the Spanish capital, Barça parked that image of an inconsistent team that collapses with the first blow. They were solid in defense, although in attack they again relied too much on individual actions, with few tactical alternatives. On the Barcelona side, Parker, the top scorer of the match, Punter, and Satoransky responded. But in the end, the winner was a resurgent Madrid. The whites, who arrived at the classic after overcoming a crisis of results, did not play their best game and stayed afloat thanks to Campazzo, the Blaugrana's executioner in the final minutes.

The initial jump led to a playing style more in line with Real Madrid: short possessions and transitions. Barcelona adapted to this scenario, with Abrines and Punter scoring from three-point range. The fragile visiting team seemed to shake with Tavares attacking the paint and with the streaks of Musa and Hezonja, who increased the white team's lead to nine points at the beginning of the second quarter (24-15). However, the blaugrana, who started off with many turnovers, recovered through their defense and by securing defensive rebounds.

Metu remained sharp, as he did in his return against Red Star, and Parker tied the score with his first points. Barça took advantage of Tavares' minutes on the bench to dominate under the hoop, something that Satoransky especially exploited in his duels with Campazzo and Feliz. The Czech player had more minutes due to Neto's last-minute absence. The Brazilian has barely played since arriving as a replacement for the injured Laprovittola. Madrid found their way out of trouble through the three-pointer, their favorite distance, and headed into halftime ahead (36-31).

After the resumption, the whites raised their defensive level, and the Blaugrana's offensive game was much more challenged. Peñarroya's team mixed errors in forced shots with some circus-like successes from Punter, while the whites showed off their better ball circulation. Mateo's team enjoyed a showtime transition, with a pass under the legs by Campazzo, which ended in Deck's muscle injury from attacking the hoop too forcefully. The home team threatened to break the game open after a play by Musa (55-45), but Barça kept close thanks to points from Punter, Parker, and a three-pointer at the end of the third period by former Real Madrid player Núñez (57-51).

Both teams were prisoners of tension in the final showdown. Errors surfaced in both teams. Real Madrid insisted on shooting from the perimeter, with poor percentages, and Barcelona rushed in numerous attacks. Until Parker, who seems to float over the court, always calm, tied the score with two consecutive three-pointers. Another long shot from Punter, followed by a technical foul on Chus Mateo, who claimed an offensive foul by the American, put Peñarroya's team ahead (65-67). But Barcelona's hopes faded in the final two minutes, starting with a possession that the referees awarded to the Whites when it seemed like Tavares was the last one to touch the ball. Campazzo turned the score around, from three-point range and the free-throw line. Satoransky brought his team close with a minute left. And Metu sealed the cruel fate of a Barcelona side that ends 2024 on a sour note.

Real Madrid (21+15+21+16): Campazzo (17), Rathan-Mayes (4), Deck (7), Musa (10), Tavares (11) - starting five -; Abalde (3), Hezonja (15), Andrés Feliz (3) and Llull (3).

Barça (15+16+20+20): Satoransky (13), Punter (12), Abrines (5), Parker (18), Vesely (4) -starting five-; Willy Hernangómez (4), Anderson (-), Núñez (3), Metu (10), Brizuela (2), and Parra (-).

Referees: Antonio Conde, Fernando Calatrava, and Roberto Lucas. They excluded Vesely for five personal fouls (37th minute).

Incidents: game corresponding to matchday 13 of the Endesa Basketball League played at the WiZink Center in front of 12,050 spectators. Before the game, Sergio Llull received a jersey with his name, the number 620 on the back, and the text “Player with the most games in the ACB at Real Madrid” in honor of the achievement accomplished this Sunday against Barça.