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18-year-old James Ugochukwu Nnaji did his best but could not save Barcelona from defeat to Real Madrid in El Clásico.
Nigerian professional basketball player James Ugochukwu Nnaji was in action for Barcelona in an EuroLeague group stage fixture played on Thursday, January 26, 2023.
The 18-year-old Nnaji featured for the Barcelona men's basketball team as they suffered a 91-86 loss to arch-rivals Real Madrid.
When Real Madrid takes on Barcelona in any sport it is referred to as El Clasico because of the long history between the two clubs.
Just as the football game is intense, this meeting between Barcelona and Real Madrid on the European stage did not disappoint.
Barcelona took the first quarter and the second quarter to establish a comfortable seven-point lead at the halftime break.
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The Catalan side continued their domination to take the third quarter and extend their lead to nine.
In the fourth quarter, Real Madrid pulled off an incredible 23-14 run to send the game to overtime.
In overtime, Real Madrid were able to outlcass their rivals 18-13 and win the game by a five-point margin.
James Nnaji shines for Barcelona against Real Madrid
Despite the defeat against Real Madrid, Nigeria's Nnaji was a bright spot for Barcelona in a hostile away environment.
Nnaji was named among the bench unit by Barcelona basketball Head coach Šarūnas Jasikevičius.
Jasikevičius utilized Nanji off the bench for Barcelona as a center protecting the rim and sometimes as a forward defending opposing players on the perimeter.
Nnaji featured for 11 minutes of a possible 45 and made one of his two shots.
He was forced to one turnover and helped Barcelona on the boards with four rebounds.
It was a good outing for the youngster in the second most prestigious basketball competition in the world.
Nnaji's cameo appearances in the Euroleague continue to strengthen the case for him to declare for the NBA Draft as soon as possible.
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