Real Madrid visited Maccabi Tel Aviv on the court of the “Aleksandar Nikolic” Hall in Belgrade, in a rescheduled match of the sixth round of the EuroLeague. The Royal Club secured a convincing win by 99:70.
For the team from the Spanish capital, Carlos Alocen and Guerschon Yabusele were absent, while on the other side, John Dibartolomeo did not play.
Right from the opening quarter, Real Madrid demonstrated a more concrete performance, and the duo of Facundo Campazzo and Walter Tavares proved to be an insurmountable obstacle for the “Pride of Israel.” The Argentine playmaker scored eight points with five assists, while the best center in the EuroLeague reached 15 points in the first quarter alone. In this impressive fashion, Real Madrid led 36:21 after ten minutes of play.
After an exceptionally exciting first quarter with a plethora of points on both sides, the second quarter presented a completely different picture. Both teams struggled with shooting percentages, resulting in a significantly lower scoring output. However, Real Madrid maintained its lead even in such a rhythm, leading 45:31. Josh Nebo played well in this part of the game, reaching ten points, but the reigning EuroLeague champion led 52:41 before the continuation of the match.
The second half started at a somewhat slower pace, and Real Madrid created an 8:2 run. After a dunk in transition by Mario Hezonja, they extended the lead to 60:43, prompting a timeout from coach Oded Kattash. Following the timeout, Lorenzo Brown led a 11:0 run for Maccabi, which was interrupted by another three-pointer from Hezonja. Subsequently, Real Madrid regained control of the game, leading 74:56 heading into the decisive quarter.
The final period was a mere formality as the undefeated team in the EuroLeague maintained their lead, securing their tenth win in as many games. On the other side, Maccabi Tel Aviv now stands at a 5-5 record.
Walter Tavares led Real Madrid in scoring with 19 points and eight rebounds, Mario Hezonja contributed 16 points, and Dzanan Musa finished with 15. Facundo Campazzo recorded 11 points and nine assists. On the opposing side, Lorenzo Brown scored 16 points and dished out nine assists, while Josh Nebo reached 14 points.
In the next round of the EuroLeague, according to the regular schedule, Real Madrid will visit Fenerbahce, while Maccabi Tel Aviv will host Alba Berlin in Belgrade.
MACCABI TEL AVIV – REAL MADRID 70:99 (21:36, 20:16, 15:22, 14:25)
Arena: “Aleksandar Nikolic”, Beograd
Referees: Boltauzer, Diffalah, Foufis
Maccabi Tel Aviv: Cleveland 4 Webb 5, Brown 16, Baldwin 7, Menco, Sorkin 5, Rivero 8, Cohen 2, Mayer, Nebo 14, Blatt 5, Colson 4
Real Madrid: Fernandez 6, Abalde 13, Campazzo 11p 9a, Gonzalez 2, Hezonja 16, Rodriguez 3, Deck 10, Poirier 8, Tavares 19, Llull 3, Ndiaye 3, Musa 15