Real Madrid defeated Valencia at home 96-79 in Round 31 of the EuroLeague, getting their second straight win against the Liga Endesa rivals.
Real Madrid was looking for payback in the EuroLeague after their previous loss to Valencia in November, while the side of Pedro Martinez was focused on trying to get revenge for their loss in the Copa del Rey, which was not without controversy after the game. Valencia was hurt by the absence of one of their best scorers, Kameron Taylor, who was out with a muscle injury in his right leg.
It was a tight game in the first half, as Real Madrid had a 20-19 lead entering the second with both teams playing patiently on offense and moving the ball well. A late three pointer by Mario Hezonja and a basket by Andres Feliz to end the second quarter made it a 51-43 game for Sergio Scariolo‘s team, which was a big difference in a game as close as this. History was also made near the end of the half as Sergio Llull hit his 700th three pointer in the EuroLeague.
700th three in style 🍊@23Llull #MotorolaMagicMoment pic.twitter.com/4mTqS7fX3e
— EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) March 12, 2026
Claim Now The second half started with baskets from Chuma Okeke and Alberto Abalde while the Valencia offense was totally shut down thanks to Real’s quick returns on defense in transition, and the typically dominant Walter Tavares in the paint, as the Madrid side saw their lead grow to 69-52 at one point before Jean Montero and Nathan Reuvers cut it to 75-65 entering the fourth. There, Real Madrid hit five threes in the quarter, putting Valencia in a hole they could not climb out of, grabbing the win and tying them in the EuroLeague standings with a 20-11 record. This win was also important due to Real Madrid overcoming a 13-point deficit in the head-to-head tie breaker with Valencia, as they now hold the advantage if botht eams end up with the same record.
Edy Tavares ⛔️
— EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) March 12, 2026
Not in his house… #MotorolaMagicMoment pic.twitter.com/H2xZwgpgd0
The wing tandem of Mario Hezonja and Gabriel Deck made the biggest impact with 16 and 14 points respectively along with the 12 points of Trey Lyles, while Walter Tavares had 8 points, 9 rebounds and three blocks to his name. Juan Montero ended up leading all scorers with 18 points but only Josep Puerto cracked double digits for Valencia with 11. Real Madrid will take on Zalgiris in the next round on the road on March 20th, while Valencia will face Barcelona at home a day earlier.
