Sportradar's Matt Kamalsky reflects on last Friday's memorable triple-overtime classic at Palau Blaugrana
Stats review: Barcelona, Kevin Punter went to new heights on a record-breaking night
Stats
3 Mins read
It took 55 minutes of game action, but the EuroLeague single-game combined points record fell last Friday night as FC Barcelona survived three overtimes to beat Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz 134-124 at Palau Blaugrana. The game was doubly significant as the victory pulled the hosts equal with Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv atop the standings with 12 victories while entering the records book almost two years after the previous single-game record was set in a quadruple-overtime affair in January 2024.
It was also an offensive clinic as the teams combined to create 104 points out of pick and rolls, shoot a combined 46% from three and 85% at the line, and average 1.14 points per possession – way ahead of the top efficiency mark for a team in a single season on record. This was offensive basketball at its finest in a Round 17 game in late December. While the contest featured elite execution and shot-making overall, there were several particularly notable accomplishments on both sides to make the league’s first three-overtime finish special.
Playing nearly 45 minutes to lead both sides, Kevin Punter’s 43-point effort was perhaps not all that surprising – that’s a long work day for one of the most dangerous shot-makers in the EuroLeague over the last handful of years. However, the fact that he scored 43 points while attempting only 19 shots and turning the ball over only once puts his performance among the most efficient volume scoring games in EuroLeague history. That’s no small feat at this point in the league’s history, before even mentioning his heroics to keep Barcelona alive at the end of the second overtime.
Barcelona needed every one of his baskets to take down Baskonia as they put together the gutsiest performance of their season on the road. Getting outscored 18-0 in transition, they had to earn every point against a set defense but were able to keep pace nonetheless. With Markus Howard enjoying his most explosive scoring output in over a year before leaving the game with an injury, Baskonia found an encouraging rhythm away from Buesa Arena, where they have notched all six of their wins this season.
Overall, this game was a masterclass in pick and roll play with both sides producing quality looks for their ball handlers, roll men, cutters, and shooters consistently. Howard set the tone for Baskonia with both his scoring and passing, with Trent Forrest using his ability to get downhill to create steadily for others. For Barcelona, the scoring of Punter and Tomas Satoransky helped them chip away at an early deficit while Nico Laprovittola did a lot of the playmaking to get everyone else involved.
The play that led to records falling in this game epitomizes the efficiency and parity driving the drama in the EuroLeague at the moment. Nights like that are inevitable in the current climate as there are no easy wins at this stage, and every game really does matter.