The Barcelona star set new career-best marks in scoring and minutes during his team’s Game 2 win
Jabari Parker is loving the EuroLeague Playoffs: ‘You know I can score more, right?’
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Big-time players step up in the big games, and that’s precisely what Jabari Parker did on Friday night against Olympiacos Piraeus. Playing with its back against the wall after losing Game 1 at Palau Blaugrana, FC Barcelona was aware that the must-win label applied to Game 2.
Drawing energy from a buzzing home crowd, the hosts hit the ground running as Parker netted 11 first-quarter points, including a put-back basket to beat the buzzer as Barcelona took a 27-14 cushion into the second period.
“This is what you live for,” he said after the game. “[For] these environments.”
The American forward went on to score another 7 points in the third quarter, but Olympiacos stayed in the game thanks to some tough Nigel Williams-Goss buckets, with Barcelona heading into the closing quarter with a narrow 60-57 lead. When Filip Petrusev made a basket from inside to bring the visitors within 63-61 with less than 7 minutes to play, it was time for the Barcelona big guns to come to the fore.
Arise: Jabari Parker
Parker went on to drill a triple to put Barcelona’s up by 5 before nailing another one with 4 minutes remaining to extend the hosts’ lead to double digits, 74-64, and practically put the game to bed.
Come the final buzzer, Parker had netted a career-high 24 points, having gone 6 for 7 from inside the arc and 4 for 7 from deep. Interestingly, his previous season high in scoring also came against Olympiacos back in Round 20 to lead Barcelona to an 86-78 victory at home.
“If I score 2 points, if I score 5 points, the most important thing is to be aggressive,” Parker explained to EuroLeague.net’s Panos Kostopoulos. “We played against one of the best teams [in the EuroLeague]. They don’t go to the Final Four every year by coincidence. They have the experience. Hat’s off to them that they bring out the best side of you.”
Having recently extended his contract with Barcelona until 2026, Parker has admitted that taking part in games of such importance is what he is here for.
"This is what I got off the couch for,” he told EuroLeague TV. “This is why I decided to play here in Spain because of the intensity and I'm thankful for it.”
Going from strength to strength
In his first Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season, he averaged 10.3 points in 23:09 minutes. The playoffs are a different animal, though, and in these two games against Olympiacos, Parker’s playing time has increased to 30:14 minutes per game, demonstrating how influential he has become for the Final Four contender.
Curiously, none of the 21 players who featured on Friday night played more than Parker, who stayed on the floor for 32:08 minutes, which is the most he has played in a single game in his first campaign in Europe.
"We needed to keep the energy and intensity,” he added. “We knew the game was about runs. We kept our composure and we stayed aggressive."
Having already participated in the NBA Playoffs with the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics, Parker’s experience played a key role in Barcelona bouncing back to tie the series against Olympiacos. The Blaugrana will travel to Greece next week, with Game 3 and Game 4 scheduled to take place on Tuesday and Thursday, night, respectively, at Peace And Friendship Stadium.
“The job is not done,” Parker stated to EuroLeague.net. “I played in the playoffs and postseason before, and we’ve got to try to get one there at least because we know it’s hard to win there. It’s going to be important that we have the same energy.”
After shining with a career-high night against Olympiacos in Game 2, Parker is eagerly awaiting the games in Piraeus. Beating the Greek side at a sold-out SEF is anything but an easy task, but the Barcelona man demonstrated on Thursday night that he has what it takes to lead his team to big victories.
“You know I can score more, right?” the 29-year-old commented to EuroLeague.net. Parker is full of confidence, and that is certainly good news for Barcelona.