Barça secured an 89-87 Liga Endesa victory over Unicaja at the Martín Carpena arena, overcoming significant frontcourt injuries to prevail in a tightly contested match, La Vanguardia reported.

Victory secured despite frontcourt injuries in Malaga

The visiting side had to navigate more than half the game without a natural center. Coach Joan Peñarroya’s rotation at the five position was severely depleted, leaving Chimezie Nebo as the only available traditional center due to injuries.

Despite the roster strain, the Catalan side maintained its competitive edge throughout the encounter. Justin Robinson sustained a late knee knock during the closing minutes, though the injury ultimately appeared minor.

Late surge decides the contest in the final minute

Trailing 89-87 heading into the final stretch, Barça engineered a crucial 5-0 run over a 30-second span to snatch the win away from the hosts. Darío Brizuela hit a pivotal three-pointer following an offensive rebound by Nebo, which was followed by two successful free throws from Kevin Punter.

Josep Parra led the team’s scoring efforts with 17 points, stepping up during critical stretches of the game to keep his side competitive against a persistent Unicaja squad.

Troubled weekend for other Catalan clubs

The broader basketball landscape in Catalonia proved less fortunate during the same round of fixtures. Asisa Joventut fell 78-81 at home at the Olímpic against Surne Bilbao, despite a 22-point performance from Nicolás Laprovittola that ultimately left him isolated on the floor.

Meanwhile, Kids&Us Manresa traveled to Vitoria and suffered a 106-83 defeat against Kosner Baskonia. The result leaves Manresa winless through the opening six rounds of the Liga Endesa season, while handing newly appointed Baskonia head coach Velimir Perasović his first victory.