Real Madrid takes a 1-0 lead against Barcelona, securing a 97:78 win on their home court in the Liga Endesa semifinal series.
Regardless of the tough loss in the EuroLeague final, the host entered this gatch exceptionally well and established control early on. There was no sense of disappointment among the Madrid players for any reason. On the contrary, they took to the court highly motivated and quickly built a double-digit lead.
However, things changed in the second quarter when Chus Mateo’s squad faltered, allowing Barcelona to equalize. A new twist followed when Facundo Campazzo woke up and with his brilliant play pushed the home team to a new lead, extending it to plus eight before halftime, when Guerschon Yabusele also joined the effort.
Real Madrid didn’t stop there, after more points from Campazzo, they went up by 11, followed by a score from Dzanan Musa for a maximum lead of plus 13. The EuroLeague runners-up were on a massive surge, evident in their lead of 23 points โ 61:38, after Campazzo converted free throws following a technical foul by Roger Grimau. Barcelona was completely demolished, and it was clear that a comeback would be difficult.
However, the Catalans didn’t give up. They narrowed the gap to minus eight at the beginning of the fourth quarter, but Sergio Llull, with three tough three-pointers, two of which were particularly impressive, took matters into his own hands and restored a plus 15 lead. He hit one more, putting an end to any doubts about the winner.
Facundo Campazzo had a standout performance with 20 points and 10 assists, followed by Walter Tavares with 18 points and 15 rebounds. Guerschon Yabusele contributed 16 points, while Sergio Llull added 14 points.
In the defeated team, Nicolas Laprovittola led with 13 points, followed by Willy Hernangomez with 12 points. Jabari Parker ended the game with 11 points, while Oscar da Silva contributed 10 points.
Real Madrid now leads 1-0 in the best-of-five semifinal series, with the next game also taking place in the Spanish capital, on Friday at 20:30.
Momento Sergio Llull.
— Liga Endesa (@ACBCOM) May 29, 2024
๐ @23Llull
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