U18 FC Barcelona reclaimed the adidas NextGen EuroLeague championship for the first time since 2016, edging eternal rivals U18 Real Madrid 85-77 in a gripping curtain-raiser to Sunday's EuroLeague Championship Game at Telekom Center Athens.
In a contest that marked the first time the NextGen final was played as the warm-up act to the senior showpiece, neither side led by more than five points until the closing possessions when Barcelona's added physicality proved the difference.
Nikola Kusturica (202-SG-2009) was the inspiration. The forward returned from injury to deliver a commanding 20-point, 10-rebound double-double that peaked at exactly the right moments a putback just before halftime (38-39), crucial buckets to force a 43-43 tie in the third quarter, five points to retake the lead at 67-68 with five minutes left, and clutch free throws to protect it down the stretch. Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje (210-F/C-2009, college: Duke) added 17, while Jakob Siftar (197-F-2009) and Mohamed Dabone (208-F/C-2011) each scored 10.
Real Madrid refused to go quietly. Egor Amosov (197-F-2008) paced Los Blancos with 16 points including a three-point play in the fourth quarter, Fabian Kayser (201-G-2009) had 14 with a late triple that cut it to 77-79, and Gunars Grinvalds (200-F-2008) netted 13 with early fast-break points that set the tone. Ilia Frolov contributed 11. But Diego Ferreras (195-F-2009)' rim finish for 72-77 and a subsequent layup for 72-81 provided the breathing room Barcelona needed, and their defense locked down the final possessions.
The game seesawed throughout all four quarters 22-24 after the first, 38-39 at halftime, 60-62 Real entering the fourth before Barcelona's closing 23-15 burst settled it.