The Dallas Mavericks gave an uninspiring effort against FC Regal Barcelona as the Liga Endesa side won 99-85 at Palau Sant Jordi in the fourth and final game of the NBA’s Europe Live tour 2012.
Barcelona have now won their last three games against NBA team on Spanish soil. There was no start for the man everyone came to see, Dirk Nowitzki who was out with what was recorded as a sore right knee, Mavs coaching staff prefered to rest the big German as a precaution.
Dallas rebounded poorly ending with 40 as a team to Barca’s 52. The Mavericks struggled without a strong presence inside which could have been helped if Nowitzki was declared fit. Elton Brand gave a good performance inside but unable to add enough scoring to put his team ahead.
The top scorers for the much stronger Barcelona side were Juan Carlos Navarro, who ended with 19 including 5-9 from beyond the three-point arc. Veteran big-man Pete Mickeal also added 19 points, playing superbly on both ends of the court.
The Dallas scoring was led by new addition Chris Kaman who added 15 points in 26 minutes of play.
Dallas shot poorly from the free throw line which was another key contributor to their defeat. They went 18-32 from the stripe shooting at only 56.2%. When second chance points were all but a myth to the former NBA Champions, free-throws proved critical.
Early in the first, both teams struggled to get out the blocks before a jumper from Brand got things going. Barcelona found their range and were led by the energy of their point guard, Brazilian Marcelinho Huertas who made an array of shots to get his teams scoring started.
The first quarter was generally quiet with both teams struggling to get an easy possession. It ended 21-19 to Barcelona.
The second quarter was again sparked by Marcelinho who controlled the pace of the game and managed to get all of his team mates involved, picking out the open man. As well as the Brazilian’s clever play-making, the aggressiveness of Joe Ingles set the tone for the Barca’s offence. Half-time ended with the Spanish still in the lead, 42-40.
Barcelona extended their lead to 10 mid-way through the third with a great team effort. Scoring came from every position and overwhelmed the Dallas defence.
Going into the fourth Dallas were down 74-56 and began to mount a come-back with full court pressure, giving the Barcelona backcourt little room to breathe. The Mavericks managed to get 2 consecutive steals from inbound play to begin their run. The effort of the Mavericks defence allowed them to slowly get back into the game, cutting the deficit to 7.
However the accurate long range shooting from Juan Carlos Navarro ensured the win for Barcelona. The game ended 99-85 to the Spaniards.
