FCBARCELONA.CAT

13.06.2009 20:13

TAU draw the final (75-67)

Sònia de Alba

Barça Regal were unable to take a two-game lead in the final of the Liga ACB as they were beaten by TAU despite pushing until the end of the game, but the hosts were able to draw level in the series .

It proved to be another intense game which was not determined until the last few minutes and the Blaugranacould well have edged it instead of their opponents.

In the final four minutes, the Barça side were unable to find the points that they required to have won the game and, despite Lakovic doing what he could, they could just not reach the basket.

Palau next

Now the Palau will be the setting for the third encounter between the teams and the Catalan fans will pack in to the arena to support Xavi Pascual and his players.

Despite not starting with Tiago Splitter in their team, TAU began strongly and their strong defence forced Barça into making mistakes and Dusko Ivanovic's players and moved ten points clear (19-9) with a minute and a half from the end of the first quarter. In fact, the home team were able to move eleven points clear before the end.

Juan Carlos Navarro was showing flashes of form as the 29-year-old netted seven points.

Barça bounce back

Pete Mickael was contributing more for TAU than he had managed in the first game as the Basque Country outfit sought to maintain their healthy advantage and they were able to as both teams exchanged triples early in the second quarter.

Pascual's side did raise their game and start applying pressure that saw them net eight points without replay, which included a triple from Sada and basket from Ersan Ilyasova which incredibly saw Barça go 26-27 ahead.

TAU then lost Mirza Teletovic as he went up for a rebound with Roger Grimau after a shot by Ilyasova , but they did not see their level drop any further and they were able to edge back into the game and draw level before the half-time break (33-33).

Good support

Teletovic came out after the break and returned to action and that caused the home fans to celebrate in the stands and as the hosts lifted their play, Barça responded too.

Jaka Lakovic was sent flying after a challenge as the intensity of the rose even higher and the force was astonishing to see at times. The Slovenian star suffered a slight cut to his head after the fall, while Igor Rakocevic also picked up a slight knock.

Ivanovic then made various changes to relieve such players as Prigioni while Vidal took responsibility going forward and Fernando San Emeterio played his first minutes of the final.

With half an hour of the game gone, TAU took a five-point lead at 54-49.

Points shy

Barça's inability to score for three minutes and 45 seconds in the last quarter was to cost them as their first basket did not come until 6 minutes 15 seconds in. Four points from Splitter and eight from Rakocevic netted eight, to take his tally to 22, and they were to win by eleven points, (68-57).