El Barcelona took the air out of Zaragoza and Brussino kept working hard

Barcelona beat Casademont Zaragoza 99-81 at the Palau Blaugrana and remained undefeated at home in the Liga Endesa. Nico Brussino was the visitor's brightest spark, with 15 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. The score was the headline, but the game had more than one chapter.

Zaragoza took the lead by six points in the first quarter, yet Barcelona's defensive reaction changed the game. The hosts recovered to close that period ahead 24-21 and reached halftime with an 8-point advantage, 48-40. The Aragonese also lost Caleb Homesley because of ankle discomfort during that stage.

The comeback that almost was

Barcelona opened the second half with a 14-0 run that appeared to settle the matter. But the visitors did not fold: they found space when the home side relaxed and reduced the deficit to 72-67 before the final quarter. Another 12-2 partial brought it to eight points, forcing coach Aleksander Sekulic to call a timeout. The comeback, however, did not succeed.

The contributions of Olek Balcerowski and Justin Minaya allowed Barcelona to regain control and close out the win. It was Zaragoza's first defeat on the road this season. For the Catalans, Juan Nunez was the standout with 23 points and a rating of 22, his personal bests in the competition.

Brussino finished as Zaragoza's most influential player. With Zaragoza still in the fight, the question is how far the forward can take the team this season. The next game will tell us more. The court, the ball and the time are waiting.