The Azulgrana improved to 3-1 after pulling out a win in the first overtime game of the 2024-25 season
Clutch, 'big-time plays' lifted Barcelona to a memorable OT win
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Regular Season
Round 4 of 34
Group Regular Season
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Streaks and records are meant to be broken, but FC Barcelona kept one of its long-lasting winning streaks alive by going on the road and edging out the previously unbeaten Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade on Friday night.
A thrilling 94-98 win in a fantastic atmosphere at a packed Belgrade Arena was Barcelona's 12th consecutive win over Zvezda, which last beat the Azulgrana more than seven years ago. The winning streak over Zvezda had some hard-fought wins, but this one might be the most memorable of them all.
Friday night, however, had all the makings of Zvezda ending the streak, with ex-Barcelona man Nikola Kalinic and Yago Dos Santos pulling all the right strings for the hosts.
Yet, Kevin Punter – back in the Serbian capital after representing Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade over the last three years – showed why he is one of the most clutch players in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. With the game on the line, he stepped up late to guide Barcelona to the win and improving his team to a 3-1 record on the season.
"Those guys made some big plays, and we kept responding," Punter told EuroLeague TV afterward. "We showed a lot of character pushing it to overtime, and we got the win."
If Punter felt particularly happy with his performance against Crvena Zvezda, he did not show it on the floor of an arena he knows so well. As a former Zvezda player who spent the last three seasons in archrival Partizan's uniform, Punter's return to the Serbian capital was long-awaited.
And saying that he delivered would not do him justice, as he scored 16 of his game-high 26 points in the fourth quarter and overtime. He was 6 for 7 on twos and 4 of 6 from long range, knocking down two triples apiece in the fourth and in the extra session.
Barcelona erased a nine-point third-quarter deficit and the game was going down to the wire when Punter took over.
He was the one who made a triple that gave Barcelona an 82-84 lead with 10.4 seconds left in regulation. After Zvezda forced overtime, Punter's triple with 55 seconds to go put Barcelona up for good, 93-96. Then, to put the cherry on top, Punter recorded his fourth steal with five seconds remaining in the game before racing down the other end to score a celebratory layup.
"They made a little run and we stayed with it. We made big-time plays and we stayed together," Punter said.
His partner in crime on this night was Jan Vesely, another former Partizan player who knows well what is like to play at Belgrade Arena. He finished with 19 points and 5 rebounds in 27 minutes of action.
"We know how difficult it is to win in this arena," Vesely stated in a post-game interview with EuroLeague TV. "Crvena Zvezda is a great team and they showed it early in the season."
But Barcelona was the one which came out victorious. A tough win in one of the toughest EuroLeague environments was Barcelona's third straight triumph and second this week.
"We had great mentality today," Vesely added. "In the second half and overtime, we played focused and ready to do the job. We are very happy that we are coming back with a win."