Mirotic powers Barcelona passed Real Madrid at Liga Endesa

It was an exciting send-off for 2019 in the Spanish Liga Endesa on Sunday. Fans were treated to nothing but the best basketball had to offer. On tap was an El Clasico matchup between perennial rivals, FC Barcelona Lassa and Real Madrid.

It was, as expected, a packed-stadium affair. Thanks to Real Madrid nursing injured players, Barca made short work of their long-time nemesis at home, dominating their guests 83-63. The win has formed a three-way tie at the top of the league standings with Zaragoza, Barcelona and Real Madrid sporting 12-3 records.

Much to the delight of the Barcelona die-hard fans, Barca was powered to victory by their prized superstar, Nikola Mirotic, who came away with 20 points and six rebounds. Malcolm Delaney chipped in 14 points and three assists as well as three of the team’s 10 3-pointers made in the game. Kyle Kuric and Adam Hanga contributed 10 points each.

On Real Madrid’s side, only Trey Thompkins was able to score in double figures with 13 points. The team as a whole struggled to get anything going on the offensive end of the floor, shooting an abysmal 26-of-60 from the field. Even Facu Campazzo was noticeably quiet as he was limited to scoring four points while committing six turnovers. They also committed 21 turnovers on the night, something Barcelona took full advantage of to score some easy buckets.

This has been a good week for Barcelona as they found a way to impose their fast-paced style on their opponents, both here and in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague.

Another chapter of Spain’s El Clasico matchup is in the books and this one clearly goes the way of Barcelona. What’s next in store for these two Titans of the Spanish Liga Endesa? Only 2020 will show us the way.