Basketball

Xavi Pascual: “We suffered too much”

Published

4 days ago

January 20, 2026

Robert

After the heart-breaking finale that ended in victory against Dubai, the Barça manager said: Xavi Pascual While he praised the team’s improvement offensively, he was critical of the team’s scoring in the final minutes. He did not hide his concerns about his team losing control of the game at crucial moments.

“We had a good advantage and they quickly closed within six points heading into the new game. We have to avoid situations like this. In the last quarter we had 22 points in total and only gave one assist. We suffered too much,” said the Barça coach. “We played well in the first half, exceeding our eight-point advantage, but we made small individual mistakes that prevented us from gaining any further advantage. In the second half, we played much better and controlled the game, but in the final quarter we made two consecutive errors and the game changed dramatically.”

Even though I am suffering, Gaba He wanted to emphasize that his attitude and fluidity have changed compared to before. “The team gave a different image compared to previous games and was excellent offensively, except for the last quarter when we lost all control. We have a long way to go and we have to keep going in the same direction.”

“We’ve lost four in our last games, which is a very good number. In fact, last week we weren’t very good, but today we were much better. It’s just that the opponent was at an extraordinary level. In the last quarter we fell physically and we were tired from the last few days. And at this level, when you drop a little bit physically, it’s noticeable,” Pascual added.

Dario brizuelaClearly Barca’s best player, he recognized the importance of bouncing back from the setback against Real. madridand emphasized the locker room’s collective response to the calendar’s demands. “Dario is a player who has everything decisive. I can do almost everything well. I don’t want him to be a destructive player. I want him to be a consistent player. Overall he is playing very well and is helping us a lot, which is very important for the way I understand the game,” Pascual said.

Brizuela praised his team’s reaction after Madrid’s goal. “After the defeat, madrid We needed to take a step forward to win and everyone responded. ” Similarly, brizuela He emphasized his on-track chemistry with Kevin. pointeran outside duo that caused a lot of problems for the Emirati team’s defense: “We have already proven last year that the punter and I can play together. When we are together, we support each other to attract the defense.”

As for him, dubaiJulika GolemacI left Palau with a bittersweet feeling of having achieved victory. “We didn’t succeed in the last possession. Congratulations to Barça,” he declared.

Source: Mundo Deportivo

Robert

I have been working as a sports journalist for about 6 years now. I currently work as an author at Sportish, which is a sports news website. I mainly cover sports news and I love writing about all aspects of the sport. I also have experience working as a broadcast journalist, so I have some great insights into how sport is reported and presented.

Basketball

CSKA beat Zenit and won their 12th consecutive victory in the United League

Published

2 hours ago

January 24, 2026

Jeremiah

CSKA beat Zenit and won their 12th consecutive victory in the United League

Semyon Antonov / Photo: © PBC CSKA

CSKA defeated Zenit St. Petersburg in the regular championship match of the VTB United League.

The meeting in Moscow ended with a score of 93:90 (34:26, 26:24, 15:20, 18:20). Melo Trimble scored 21 points for the Red-Blues, and Casper Ware scored another 16 points for the team. For Zenit, Luka Shamanich scored a double-double (21 points and 10 rebounds), and Georgy Zhbanov scored 17 points.

Zenit played the first match under the leadership of Rostislav Vergun, who on Friday became interim head coach.

CSKA won its 12th victory in a row and leads the United League standings with a score of 21–2; Zenit (14–9) is fifth.

Watch live broadcasts of United League matches on the television channels of the Match holding company, as well as on the websites matchtv.ru and sportbox.ru.

VTB United League. Regular season

CSKA (Moscow) – Zenit (St. Petersburg) – 93:90 (34:26, 26:24, 15:20, 18:20)

Source: Sportbox

Jeremiah

I am a sports journalist who has been writing for a news website since 2015. My work primarily focuses on sports news, but I have also written about other topics such as technology and the arts. I have an extensive background in journalism, having worked as a reporter for a local newspaper before moving to a news website.

Basketball

Kiev-Basket confidently beat Niko-Basket in the postponed match

Published

2 hours ago

January 24, 2026

Ralph

Kiev-Basket confidently beat Niko-Basket in the postponed match

“Kiev-Basket” defeated “Niko-Basket” in the rescheduled match for the regular championship of the GGBET Super League on Saturday, January 24.

After an even first quarter, Niko-Basket had an unsuccessful second quarter and only 6 points in the last two minutes improved the situation somewhat, but Niko-Basket lost the second ten minutes 8:19.

At the beginning of the third quarter, “Kyiv-Basket” achieved its maximum advantage of +17, and then “Niko-Basket” managed to equalize the game and get close to 4 points. However, in the end, the Kyiv team played with concentration and preserved the victory.

Maxim Sandul had a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds for Kiev Basketball. The most productive name for the home team was American newcomer Jamir Moultrie, who scored 15 points.

GGBET Super League. Regular season, January 24

Niko-Basket – Kyiv-Basket – 61:69 (17:17, 8:19, 19:16, 17:17)

Niko-Basket: Lukyan 7, Grischuk 3+5 rebounds, Likhoy 11+7 rebounds, Garbar 6, Safonov 8+5 rebounds + 5 assists – start; Moultrie 15 + 5 rebounds, Zaitsev 10, Volodin 1, Neamtsu 0

Kyiv-Basket: Bublik 11, Sushkin 12 + 5 rebounds, Romanitsa 5, Klevzunik 13 + 5 rebounds + 6 assists, Sandul 17 + 11 rebounds – start; Karpyuk 8 + 10 rebounds, Malich 3, Kolawole 0, Ryzhkov 0

Source: Sport UA

Ralph

Ralph Bean is a writer for Sportish. Ralph has written about sports news for the last two years, and is currently an author on the site. He enjoys writing about sports, and hopes to cover more stories in the future.

Basketball

NBA. Sensation in Oklahoma, Houston beat Detroit, tough victory for Denver

Published

9 hours ago

January 24, 2026

Ralph

NBA. Sensation in Oklahoma, Houston beat Detroit, tough victory for Denver

Eight games were played in the NBA regular season on the night of January 23-24.

“Oklahoma” lost to “Indiana” in a sensational home match.

The key point of the game was the first quarter, which the Pacers won with a score of 39:28, and this was enough for them to further secure their lead. The Thunder won the next three quarters but were unable to tie the score. As a result, Indiana won with a score of 117:114.

Even Gilgeous-Alexander’s 47 points couldn’t save the Thunder from defeat. Indiana’s top scorer was Nembhard, who had a double-double with 27 points and 11 assists.

Detroit lost at home to Houston.

Rockets took the lead from the beginning of the game and won the first quarter with a score of 28:20. At the beginning of the second 12 minutes, the Pistons took a lead of 35:34 with a score of 13:1. After that, the game was balanced and the teams finished the long break with a draw at 52:52. The key point of the game was the third quarter, when the Rockets made moves of 8:0 and 9:2 to gain a 14-point advantage – 86:72. Later, the guest team calmly won the match with a score of 111:104.

Durant scored 32 points and Smith had a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Milwaukee came close to a comeback at home in a game against Denver.

The first quarter was a balanced contest and the Bucks gained a 6-point advantage in the second quarter and increased this advantage to +15 (78:63) in the third quarter. At the beginning of the fourth quarter, the visitors were ahead by 23 points and appeared to have closed out the game. However, Milwaukee made a 15:2 move to get back into the match 97:92. As a result, the game was deadlocked and thanks to free throws, Denver still maintained a 102:100 advantage, but the last attack of the match belonged to the Bucks.

Six Nuggets players scored 11+ points, while Nnaji had a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds.

NBA. Regular season, January 24

Detroit-Houston-104:111 (20:28, 32:24, 20:34, 32:25)

of Detroit: Duren (18 + 7 rebounds), Cunningham (12 + 8 assists + 6 turnovers), Thompson (12 + 8 rebounds), D. Robinson (9), Harris (4) – start; Stewart (16), Holland (13), Jenkins (10), Ivey (8), Green (2).

Houston: Durent (32 + 7 rebounds), Shengyun (19 + 5 losses), Thompson (15 + 9 rebounds + 7 assists), Smith (11 + 10 rebounds), Okogie (7) – start; Sheppard (18), Capela (5+9 rebounds), Tate (4).

Atlanta – Phoenix – 110:103 (27:31, 37:28, 20:32, 26:12)

of Atlanta: Okongwu (25), Johnson (23 + 18 rebounds + 9 assists + 5 losses), Alexander-Walker (13 + 5 losses), Daniels (8 + 8 rebounds), Kispert (8) – starts; McCollum (21), Kennard (9), Koloko (2), Guay (1), Krejci (0).

Phoenix: Booker (31), Gillespie (16), Brooks (11), Williams (6), O’Neal (5) – starter; Allen (16), Ighodaro (8 + 7 rebounds), Green (4), Dunn (4), Goodwin (2).

Brooklyn – Boston – 126:130 Overtime (28:28, 27:21, 26:29, 23:26, 14:14, 8:12)

Brooklyn: Porter (30 + 8 rebounds), Claxton (18 + 9 rebounds), Clowney (15 + 9 rebounds), Demin (6), Powell (6) – start; Traore (21), Z. Williams (14 + 8 rebounds), Thomas (7), Sharpe (5 + 8 rebounds), Wolfe (4).

Boston: Pritchard (32), Brown (27 + 10 rebounds + 12 assists), Hauser (19), Scheierman (6 + 7 rebounds), Keta (6) – start; Garza (12), Simons (10), Gonzalez (10 + 7 rebounds), Walsh (5), Williams (3), Harper (0).

Cleveland-Sacramento-123:118 (35:35, 33:36, 34:22, 21:25)

cleveland: Mitchell (33 + 8 assists), E. Mobley (29 + 13 rebounds + 7 assists + 4 blocks), Tyson (17 + 7 rebounds), Allen (15 + 9 rebounds), Wade (6) – start; Hunter (9), Porter (5), Tomlin (4), Proctor (3), Nance (2).

sacramento: DeRozan (20), Westbrook (11), LaVine (10), Achiuwa (4 + 8 rebounds), Reynaud (0) – start; Sabonis (24 + 16 rebounds + 6 assists), Schroeder (21), Monk (16 + 7 assists), Cardwell (8), Clifford (4).

Memphis-New Orleans-127:133 (30:30, 35:30, 36:33, 26:40)

memphis: Jaren Jackson (26 + 12 rebounds + 4 blocks), Landale (24 + 11 rebounds), Spencer (21 + 11 assists), Coward (13), Wells (11 + 5 turnovers) – starter; Jackson (15), Small (7), Williams (6), Caldwell-Pope (4), Konchar (0).

New Orleans: Bay (36), Murphy (32), Williamson (24 + 11 rebounds), Quinn (8 + 9 rebounds), Jones (0) – start; Fiers (12), Missy (8 + 8 rebounds), Poole (6), Matkovic (5), Peavey (2).

Oklahoma – Indiana – 114:117 (28:39, 25:19, 32:31, 29:28)

Oklahoma: Gilgeous-Alexander (47), Holmgren (25 + 13 rebounds), Wallace (10), Joe (7), Dort (2) – start; K. Williams (12 + 7 rebounds), Jeng (7), Carlson (2), Williams (2), Barnhizer (0).

indiana: Nembhard (27 + 7 rebounds + 11 assists), Walker (26), Siakam (21 + 6 assists), Nesmith (17), Furphy (4 + 10 rebounds) – start; Potter (10 + 10 rebounds), Sheppard (6), McConnell (6), Jackson (0), Huff (0).

Milwaukee – Denver – 100:102 (21:21, 21:27, 21:30, 37:24)

Milwaukee: Y. Antetokounmpo (22 + 13 rebounds + 7 assists), Rollins (21), Turner (17 + 7 rebounds + 6 blocks), Kuzma (11 + 10 rebounds + 6 assists), G. Harris (4) – start; Portis (11 + 9 rebounds), Anthony (9), Coffey (5), Jackson (0), Nance (0).

Denver: Strother (20), Pickett (13 + 7 assists), Gordon (13), Nnaji (11 + 12 rebounds), Jones (5) – start; Hardaway (17), B. Brown (15), Jones (5), Holmes (3), Tyson (0).

Portland – Toronto – 98:110 (12:19, 31:31, 31:26, 24:34)

Portland: Holiday (21 + 7 assists), Sharpe (21 + 7 rebounds), Kamara (16), Clingan (13 + 16 rebounds), Sissoko (3) – start; Love (11), Grant (8), Cook (5), Ruper (0), Yang Hansen (0).

toronto: Mamukelashvili (22), Quickley (20 + 8 rebounds + 7 assists), Ingram (20 + 7 rebounds), Barnes (15 + 9 rebounds + 6 blocks), Barrett (10) – start; Dick (10), Agbaji (10), Bettle (3), Shed (0), Mobo (0).