FC Barcelona began its Euroleague campaign with an 89-82 win over Anadolu Efes at the Palau Blaugrana. The team, led by coach Aleksander Sekulic, bounced back from a 15-point deficit in the first quarter, with Dario Brizuela scoring 20 points and Kevin Punter adding 19. The victory came four days after Barcelona's 101-87 loss to Joventut Badalone in the Supercopa final. Several key players, including Josh Nebo, Yoan Makoundou, and Tosan Evbuomwan, were sidelined due to injuries. The game started poorly for Barcelona, as Efes built a 15-0 lead early on. Joel Parra and Justin Robinson helped cut the deficit to nine points by the end of the first quarter. Brizuela then took control, leading a 10-0 run that brought Barcelona back to within three points. His efforts, along with two three-pointers, gave the Catalans a 45-44 halftime lead. Umoja Gibson, who came off the bench, contributed 10 points to support the team's effort. In the second half, Sekulic made a defensive change by starting Justin Minaya. Efes, led by Mike James (22 points) and Dario Saric (17 points), entered the fourth quarter with a 67-63 lead. Barcelona responded strongly, outscoring Efes 26-15 in the final period. Olek Balcerowski scored 10 points and set up a crucial alley-oop for Parra, who scored three points to narrow the gap. Mike James missed two of his three free throws, and Justin Robinson, who joined Barcelona this year, hit a three-pointer to make it 86-82. Kevin Punter then secured the ball and sealed the win with three free throws. The loss affected Efes, which had recently won the VTB United League SuperCup in Moscow. Mike James, the all-time leading scorer in Euroleague history and the team's MVP, remained a significant threat for Turkey. His former Monaco teammate, Matthew Strazel, added 12 points. For Barcelona, the win marked the start of its centenary season for its basketball team, which features 11 new players and a new coach. Sekulic, who moved from Dubai after winning the ABA League there, earned his first European victory as Barcelona's coach. The full game statistics can be found here.