We conclude our Road to EuroLeague Final Four with another key matchup: the one between Nicolas Laprovittola and Sergio Llull.
The two former teammates will collide in a semifinal that will see Barcelona take on Real Madrid for the third time this season.
The last time the two Spanish giants met in the competition, the “Blaugrana” rallied past the “Whites” (86-68), with the Argentinian guard scoring 20 points, on 5-for-5 three-point shooting.
Laprovittola spent the past two seasons with Real before moving to Barcelona in the summer. The 32-year-old guard wasn’t so consistent during the season.
But, he averaged 9.5 points, on 53.6% shooting and 44% from beyond the arc. He was also second in free-throw shooting (91.5%)
In the postseason, he increased his numbers to 13.4 points, on 47.1% from the field and 50% from the three-point line. He also went for 26 points in Game 5 vs Bayern Munich, leading Barcelona to the EuroLeague Final Four.
Laprovittola will aim to build some momentum offensively and his three-point shooting will be key for the Catalans. If he plays at the same standards as the series vs the Bavarians, he will be a game changer for his team.
On the other hand, Sergio Llull is getting ready for his eighth EuroLeague Final Four. He was previously there with Real in 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019. He has won the championship twice (2015, 2018).
Llull is the fifth-best scorer in EuroLeague history, with 3,489 points. A future EuroLeague legend, he is also sixth in career scoring in the Final Four, with 167 points.
The Spanish star guard was rather inconsistent in the regular season, with just 8.6 points. However, he contributed an average of 11.7 points in the series vs Maccabi Tel-Aviv. In Games 2 and 3, Llull went for 17 and 18 points, respectively, helping his team sweep the series.
Just like Laprovittola, Llull, a great two-way player, can be unstoppable if he builds some momentum. So, the Catalans will do their best to contain him, especially in the perimeter.
It is also likely to see the two players guard each other, since they can play both positions in the perimeter. The semi-final between Real Madrid and Barcelona takes place on Thursday night at Stark Arena.
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