Barcelona vs. Cajasol

Well, it was a long time coming, but I finally got to see Ricky Rubio and his Barcelona squad in person. The first thing that comes to mind when I think about this game, is college basketball. The atmosphere at the game rivaled that of a Big 5 game in Philly. Right off the bat, you could feel the sense of urgency, and the intensity that both teams had.  I think anytime the big, bad, Barcelona comes to town, the home team is going to be a little more fired up than usual.  This was evident from the start.

The stadium is small, that of a college basketball arena, packed full of eager fans ready for battle. There were  two drummers, leading a raucous crowd that at times I think had an impact on the game. Although I was rocking my Ricky Rubio jersey, inside I couldn't help but root for Cajasol Sevilla.

I was really lucky to have gone to this game. As I mentioned, the atmosphere was great, but the basketball was even better. Right from the start, both teams came out firing. Cajasol was hot from the field, and Barcelona wouldn't go away easily. Both ends of the floor, offensively and defensively it was a solid game. Although the scoring was low, with a final score of 77-65, the game was still exciting. Guys were knocking down shots, dunking all over, and there was a good up and down tempo that really kept things interesting.  It was back and fourth with both teams sharing leads, but Cajasol surprisingly had Barcelona under control, almost the entire game. It wasn't until the final 4 minutes when Barcelona proved to be too much.

So in the end, I got to see a solid basketball game, and on top of that, sat in the second row right behind one of my favorite players. It was a nice way to kick off my Saturday night, and I'll definitely be going back to more games soon!!