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sep 19 2026Barcelona defeated Valencia Basket in an exciting second semifinal of the ACB Supercopa, winning 87-86 in a grueling two-hour contest. Under head coach Alexander Sekulic, Barcelona secured victory with a strong collective performance. Justin Robinson led the Blaugrana with 17 points. Despite Valencia's best efforts, it wasn't enough. Tomorrow at 7:00 PM, a Catalan final awaits at the Olímpic de Badalona.
The game started slowly with both teams showing some hesitation. The deep roster overhauls on both sides surely played a role. Midway through the first quarter, Olivier Nkamhoua's (9 points) entry into the game brought energy and vitality to Barcelona's offense. As a result, Sekulic's squad took the lead (11-19 at the 6-minute mark).
Two consecutive three-pointers from Valencia Basket, with a motivated Kameron Taylor (7 points), brought the Valencians back into it. Barcelona's response came through Darío Brizuela, who left it at 19-24 at the end of the first quarter.
As expected, Valencia Basket raised the physical intensity and Barcelona struggled to score easily. Sekulic's team couldn't run in transition and had many difficulties in the half-court. T.J. Shorts (6 points) made an appearance and the Oranges tied the game (31-31 at the 15-minute mark).
As happened in the first quarter, Nkamhoua's entry worked wonders for the Blaugrana, who could now run in transition. Points from Nebo (9 points) and Robinson (5 points) put Barcelona up six (33-39 at the 18-minute mark). But Kameron Taylor (15 points) wasn't about to let the Culés run away with it, and his points were vital in reaching halftime with a tight 40-43 for the blue and garnet.
The second-half start was Barcelona's. With points from Justin Robinson (12 points), combined with a three-pointer from Stanley Umude, Barcelona went up ten (45-55 at the 23-minute mark). Xavi Albert called timeout, trying to stop Barcelona's run.
Barcelona continued strong on the boards (34-22), with an imperial Nebo grabbing 8 rebounds. However, Sekulic's squad fouled too early and entered the bonus, which Valencia Basket took advantage of to gradually chip away and get within three (59-62 at the 28-minute mark). The free throw disparity was staggering (25-10) in Valencia's favor. A buzzer-beater from Joel Parra left it at 61-66 for the blue and garnet. A thrilling final quarter was in store.
Right at the start of the fourth quarter, Josh Nebo was ejected from the game for two technical fouls. Barcelona could miss one of their best players on this day. The game got bogged down, with many stoppages and both teams going to the free throw line on practically every possession. Barcelona maintained the lead (73-80) with five minutes remaining.
In the decisive stretch of the game, with 35 seconds left, Valencia Basket tied it at 84 with three free throws from Kameron Taylor (23 points). The momentum was Valencia's and Barcelona seemed to be wearing down. The excitement was palpable.
Justin Robinson's basket was quickly answered by T.J. Shorts (86-86). Barcelona had the final possession with 13 seconds remaining. With 2.8 seconds left, Kevin Punter was fouled. He made the first and missed the second. Osetkowski's desperate three-pointer didn't fall, and the blue and garnet secured the victory 87-86.
