Barcelona Wins in Milan with Rebounding and Defense (81-89)

Barcelona secured a much-needed victory in Milan. Head coach Aleksander Sekulić's team defeated Olimpia (81-89) at the Unipol Forum in a game where the Italians never led. After losing in overtime to Olympiacos and stumbling against Joventut in Badalona, Barcelona bounced back to improve to 4-3.

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The victory was built on unglamorous work. Barcelona grabbed 17 offensive rebounds, which gave them second-chance opportunities throughout the game, and their defense forced 19 turnovers from Olimpia, which the team converted into easy baskets in transition. With those two weapons, they built a 14-point lead.

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Punter and Gibson Close Out the Game

Olimpia refused to quit and stayed close thanks to the three-point shooting of Jason Burnell, who scored 15 points on 4-of-5 from deep. But in the final stretch, Kevin Punter and Umoja Gibson appeared to extend the lead and seal the game. Punter finished as the leading scorer with 17 points, Tyrese Martin added 14, and Gibson contributed 13.

Barcelona won despite missing key players. Darío Brizuela did not travel due to physical discomfort, Yoan Makoundou remains sidelined with a left knee issue, and Abdu Kone was also absent in Milan. The good news was the return of Justin Minaya, recovered from his adductor injury. For Peppe Poeta's Olimpia, it's the sixth loss in seven games.