He real Madrid still in a state of grace, counting their matches for victories in Spain and in Europe, where this Tuesday they took another step forward, maintaining their average of more than ninety points in their first three games in the continental competition by beating Lithuanian Zalgiris Kaunas 93-79.
A friendly visitor arrived at the WiZink Center, who had only won one of his last 17 games played in the capital of Spain. Despite this, he made an appearance with desire to leverage yourself and enjoy a long nightstaying close for much of the first quarter.
He did it despite the Argentine’s insistence Facundo Campazzo for converting the appointment into a procedure. It was he who generated the most for the locals at the beginning of the clash and the one who gave the signal for the white team to shoot without regard from the perimeter at a given moment.
Thus, he made it 16-14 with a triple. He imitated Guerschon Yabusele. Campazzo repeated. And at the dawn of the second quarter Rudy joined the platoon with two more, Sergio Rodríguez and Mario Hezonja. When it came time to take stock, Chus Mateo’s team had scored 8 of their last 10 baskets from distance and had gone 11 up despite the fact that Zalgiris held on at times.
The advantage rose to 14. There the Lithuanians got up, taking advantage of a few moments of weakness from their rival and with a partial score of 2-9 they knocked on the door again. Campazzo led a new Madrid rally to leave the income in a ten favorable to rest (53-43, min.20).
However, the host came out of the locker room dry in the offensive department, weighed down by the losses. Production in the first five and a half minutes was reduced to two free kicks converted by Walter Tavares. The Kaunas team half took advantage of the entertainment, threatening at the beginning with two points from Kevarrius Hayes and a 3+1 from Keenan Evans, but they were equally denied from then on until a 2+1 from Rolands Smits that left them only three (55-52, min.25).
Gabriel Deck responded in the other ring to awaken your loved ones from lethargy and thus gave rise to a favorable 8-0 forged based on free throws and a new triple by Rudy Fernández that restored tranquility. It was momentary because Brady Manek, unleashed, took over and scored 8 points in a row.
Despite this, the last one to hit was Deck, who in a burst of individual inspiration in the outcome managed to ensure that a bad third quarter had no consequences, maintaining the ten lead that there was at the intermission (72-62, min.30).
A stroke of authority was missing to put an end to the evening. And Sergio Llull gave it with a 5-0 of his own handwriting in the first stages of the decisive act. The environment of the 15 in favor went from anecdote to custom since then and Real Madrid, exhibiting the productive and colorful Sergio Rodríguez-Vincent Poirier connection, comfortably closed another victory to remain undefeated.
Data sheet:
93 – Real Madrid (25+28+19+21): Campazzo (18), Deck (19), Musa (4), Yabusele (5), Tavares (4) -starting five-, Hezonja (5), Sergio Rodríguez (3), Poirier (18), Llull (5), Causeur (3), Rudy Fernández (9).
79 – Zalgiris Kaunas (19+24+19+17): Ulanovas (5), Smits (12), Giedraitis (10), Evans (8), Hayes (4) -starting five-, Mitrou-Long (9), Lekavicius (7), Birutis (6), Dimsa (2) , Manek (11), Lavrinovicius (2).
Referees: Damir Javor (SLO), Milivoje Jovcic (SRB) and Milos Koljensic (MNE). No eliminated.
Incidents: match of the third day of the Euroleague basketball match played at the WiZink Center.