Andorra edges FC Barcelona in Liga ACB

Round 3 of the 2019-20 regular season in the Liga ACB (Liga Endesa) is now in the books. It was an entertaining weekend for fans of Spanish hoops, with several notable games and even the odd stunning upset.

One such game was between MoraBanc Andorra and FC Barcelona. Andorra took full advantage of their homecourt and managed to edge out Barca 86-84.

The game itself was not pretty as both clubs committed a lot of turnovers. They were probably still making adjustments on the fly but overall, Barcelona’s inability to take good care of the ball, caused them to commit 23 turnovers in this contest. Of course, some credit does go to Andorra for their ability to force some of those turnovers with their defense.

Andorra also eked out an edge in the boards. They were more active on the glass and got 31 rebounds in the game, compared to just 25 by Barcelona. Those little things added up and were enough to keep things within reach and of course, the eventual win.

Nikola Mirotic led the visiting team from Barcelona with 17 points, most of which came from his constant trips to the free-throw line (10-of-12 shooting). He paced five other teammates to score in double figures, but Barcelona’s offense was not enough to offset the extra opportunities they handed Andorra with their turnovers.

Moussa Diagne poured in 19 points for the hosts, while David Jelinek and Dejan Todorovic chipped in 17 points each.

This is just the first loss for Barcelona but it was a sharp and stinging wake-up call that they should always bring their A-game in the Liga ACB and take better care of the ball on offense.