Will Clyburn masterclass: Barcelona steal Game 1 in OT thriller

Barcelona snatched a wild 113-112 overtime win on the road to take a 1-0 lead in the Liga Endesa Finals after a back-and-forth Game 1 against Valencia.

Game recap

Valencia jumped out early, cashing in on Barcelona’s slow start and forcing turnovers. Strong scoring from Brancou Badio and Jean Montero gave the hosts a 25-13 advantage after the opening quarter.

Barcelona heated up from long range in the second period. Dario Brizuela and Kevin Punter sparked a run that helped the visitors close the gap, and a brief on-court scuffle raised the temperature before halftime, which ended 52-47 in Valencia’s favor.

In the third quarter the visitors kept pouring it in from outside and Will Clyburn became a big part of the comeback. Tornike Shengelia steadied things inside when the perimeter shot cooled off, leaving Barcelona up by a slim margin entering the fourth.

The fourth quarter was a knife-edge affair with leads changing hands multiple times. Valencia led 97-95 with about a minute to go, but a series of missed shots and split free throws from both sides left the game tied in the closing seconds. With three seconds left, Clyburn buried a deep three to force overtime.

Overtime stayed tense. A late score and free throw from Joel Parra put Barcelona ahead 113-110 with under a minute remaining, and although Valencia answered, time ran out on their final attempts. The visitors held on for the one-point win.

Standouts and what’s next

Barcelona drilled 19 three-pointers on 32 attempts, a huge factor in the win. Will Clyburn led Barcelona with 21 points and Nicolas Laprovittola added 20. For Valencia, Jean Montero finished with 24 points and Brancou Badio had 15.

Barcelona now needs two more wins to clinch the title. Game 2 is scheduled for Saturday at 8:00 PM.