Regal Barca went into the ACB league on a high after a series of good results in the pre-season and the mood in the dressing room was definitely upbeat.
Barca’s season started on the 10 September away to Xacobeo Blu. Xavi Pascual’s men
stormed to a 63-80 win. From here on they gradually took control of the league until they cemented
first place on 13th December, beating Rueda Valladolid 83-50. From this point on they stayed top of
the table.
Spectacle and power
Regal Barça combined efficiency with attractive basketball and produced some outstanding
performances. There was an historic drubbing of Real Madrid, a Basile exhibition of three-pointers
against Meridiano Alacant, a display of attacking prowess in Badalona and the win in the Palau
against Unicaja in the 31st round which clinched first place in the regular phase.
A disappointing finale
Next up for the champion of the regular phase were two games against Gran Canaria. They
didn’t need any more. The first game ended 85-53 and then Barca confirmed their superiority
with a 47-65 win in the Canary Islands. Then came the semi-final against Unicaja. First a fantastic
game in the Palau featuring a superb performance from Morris. Second, another Barca win based on a
partial score 28-10 in the second quarter followed by a commanding performance in Malaga, in which
Basile played an outstanding part. The other semi-final between Caja Laboral and Real Madrid went
to five games so Regal Barca enjoyed the luxury of an extra week to prepare at the Muntanyà
training camp. Caja Laboral finally made it through to the final where they pulled off a shock 0-3
series victory. It was the only time in the season when Regal Barca failed to produce – a
cruel end for a team that aimed to be the basketball version of the Barca of the Five Cups.