The FC Barcelona of Basketball did not fail the day of the truth and showed that has the character of the teams champions. The ones of Sarunas Jasikevicius arrived with the series empatada to two to the fifth party against the Zenith of Saint Petesburgo to the Palau, but this Tuesday rectified all the bad fact previously and surpassed with forcefulness to the Russians (79-53) to put in the Final Four at last.
The Barcelona will play the Final Four of the Euroliga seven years after the last after winning to the ones of Xavi Pascual. The Catalan trainer, by the way, went the technician in the last participation of the blaugrana in the tournament in 2014, and the destination wanted that the barcelonistas went his hangman in a meeting in which Cory Higgins and Nick Calathes were the maximum scorers, but in which the leadership carried it to him another player.
In spite of the 15 and the 12 points of the North American and of the Greek, respectively, Pau Gasol carried good part of the praises by his big contribution from the bench. The one of Sant Boi completed his best party in Euroliga with the T-shirt of the Barça and finished with 7 points, 3 rebounds and 4 caps in little more than 17 minutes of game. A statistical leaf stood out and some very good feelings of face to what is for arriving in Colony.
The ex of the Lakers or of Chicago Bulls little by little has gone recovering the form and in front of the Zenith showed that it already is to be able to mark differences. From the defence, with these 4 caps, the elder of the Gasol closed the ring of the culés even more and allowed to his team take advantage. Because precisely by his big work backwards, the ones of Jasikevicius did not leave him any option to the Russians, that could not be to his level and suffered during all the crash.
The ones of Pacual, that up to now had competed all the parties of the series, not even had possibilities to compete the duel. The Barcelona won all the chambers with relative ease and to the rest arrived already with 13 points of advantage (43-30). In the second part, the ones of 'Saras' followed to the same defensive level and did not allow that the Zenith approached in the marker, with another partial conclusive of 36-23 to confirm the pass to the wished Final Four.
Jasikevicius, the architect of the Barça
The Lithuanian trainer knew to impose to his homónimo in the Russian bench and carried the ovation of all the Barcelona changing room after the party. He has been the architect of this Barça and this pass is in good part thanks to him. Now it touches the most difficult, that will be to win in Colony (28-30 May) to the Milan in the semifinals and afterwards to the CSKA of Moscow or to the Anadolu Efes in the big final.