Barcelona storms into Liga Endesa semifinals with 100-76 win over Murcia
Barcelona closes out the series
Barcelona wrapped up the quarterfinal series on the road, beating Murcia 100-76 in a decisive Game 3 to secure a spot in the Liga Endesa semifinals. The Catalans came out aggressive from the tip and never really let Murcia back into the contest, building a big lead early and keeping control throughout.
From the opening quarter most of Barcelona’s scoring came from a group of go-to players who set the tone and overwhelmed Murcia’s defense. Murcia was also hampered by the absence of their primary playmaker, which made it harder for them to generate consistent offense as the game went on.
Standouts and what’s next
Will Clyburn paced Barcelona with 23 points, while Kevin Punter added 14. When Punter took a breather, Nicolás Laprovittola stepped up and knocked down several long-range shots after a period without many opportunities to shoot from deep. Tornike Shengelia also played a solid role in the early surge that put Murcia on the back foot.
For Murcia, Michael Forrest led the scoring with 19 points and Devontae Cacok chipped in 16, but it wasn’t enough to close the gap. Barcelona entered the fourth quarter with a lead north of 20 points and were able to close out the game comfortably under coach Xavi Pascual.
With this win Barcelona will face Tenerife in the semifinals — a matchup that comes after Tenerife pulled off a surprising victory over Real Madrid. Expect a competitive series as both teams look to make a deep playoff run.
