Aleksander Sekulic wanted to experience the energy of Palau Blaugrana in his first EuroLeague game as Barcelona head coach. On Thursday, September 25, that energy helped his team overcome a 15-point deficit and beat Anadolu Efes Istanbul 89-82 in a thrilling Round 1 matchup.
Efes initially appeared determined to silence that crowd. Pablo Laso’s team raced into a 19-4 lead behind a devastating 15-0 run. Dario Saric was central to Efes’ early success, while Mike James and Matthew Strazel helped drive an aggressive, up-tempo attack.
Barcelona struggled to establish any rhythm as Efes moved the ball effectively and avoided turnovers. The visitors looked in complete control before the home side finally found its spark.
Umoja Gibson provided an early scoring lift, but Dario Brizuela was the player who truly changed the game. The veteran guard knocked down three-pointers in quick succession, attacking the gaps in Efes’ pick-and-roll defense and bringing Palau Blaugrana back to life.
Brizuela finished with a team-high 20 points, shooting 5-of-6 from two-point range and 3-of-4 from beyond the arc.
Barcelona completed its comeback when it took a 45-44 lead shortly before halftime.
Efes refused to go away, however, and the visitors regained the advantage in the second half. James remained a major threat, finishing with a game-high 22 points, while Saric added 17 points and eight free throws.
With the score tied tightly in the closing minutes, Barcelona needed another response.
That came from Kevin Punter. The veteran guard scored 10 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter and took control during the decisive stretch.
After Matthew Strazel gave Efes its final lead at 80-79, Punter answered to put Barcelona back in front. Olek Balcerowski then provided a huge moment with an alley-oop dunk before Punter helped create another decisive play, setting a screen that freed Justin Robinson for a three-pointer in transition.
Robinson’s shot gave Barcelona an 86-82 advantage with the finish line in sight.
Balcerowski and Punter then closed out the victory from the free-throw line as Barcelona secured a seven-point win after trailing by 15.
Brizuela led Barcelona with 20 points, while Punter added 19. Gibson scored 10, Robinson had 10 and Balcerowski finished with 10 points. Barcelona shot 41.4% from three-point range and 60% from inside the arc.
Efes received 22 points from James and 17 from Saric, but shot just 4-of-20 from three-point range.
Barcelona travels to Dubai next Tuesday to face off against former head coach Xavi Pascual. Efes welcomes Real Madrid the same day.
