Asisa Joventut found relief in Europe that has eluded them in the Liga Endesa. After two consecutive domestic losses, the Penya won convincingly in Matosinhos against FC Porto and maintains their unbeaten lead in Group H. It was a victory built on defense and three-pointers, decided in a second quarter where the Portuguese barely scored.
A sluggish start
Porto came out strong, with a 4-0 lead in the first minute and solid mid-range shooting. Joventut stayed close thanks to Simon Birgander inside and two quick baskets from Yannick Kraag, but the hosts took advantage of offensive rebounds and transition opportunities to close the first quarter ahead (17-14) in a low-scoring affair.
The second quarter decides everything
The game changed completely in the second quarter. The green-and-black defense allowed just two points in the first five minutes, and the offense found distance through three-pointers. Eli Ndiaye and Laprovittola hit back-to-back threes that forced Porto to call a timeout, and Alejandro Reyes put up the first double-digit lead. Joventut made eight three-pointers in the first half and went into halftime with a 17-point advantage (23-40), following a 6-26 run in the quarter.
Control until the end
Porto came out of the locker room with a three-pointer and cut the deficit to 11 points, taking advantage of a few minutes of offensive stagnation for the visitors. Emir Sulejmanović broke the drought and Nikola Radičević, with a three-pointer, made it 39-51 at the end of the third quarter.
In the final period, the Penya opened with a 5-0 run and managed the lead by extending possessions. When Porto threatened to get closer, Laprovittola responded with two three-pointers and Sulejmanović with a 2+1. Reyes, with another 2+1 and a three-pointer, pushed the lead to a maximum of 21 points (54-75), and a final three-pointer from Radičević sealed the 64-81 final score.