Three games in Europe at home (Olympiacos, ASVEL and Partizan) and three victories for Real Madrid, which tomorrow will visit Red Star in Belgrade in a new week with a double session. The victory came in Maledon’s debut (16 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists in less than 15 minutes) in the tournament and the Frenchman was important in the outcome. Because Madrid dominated for three quarters, but Zeljko Obradovic’s men were able to decipher the white defense in the final stretch. After going down more than twenty points they came with options and there were two proper names: Lyles and Maledon. Two of the new players were decisive in ending Partizan’s reaction. The Frenchman had the timing under control – it was forbidden to exceed a quarter of an hour – but it was enough for him to be decisive.
Scariolo correctly considers that there are things that his players at this point are not yet capable of doing. But that list is getting shorter and shorter. At least occasionally. The team left clues about its possible level in attack in the first quarter of an hour in Vitoria and improved that version in the first two quarters against Partizan. At the Buesa Arena, the good work translated into a 20-point difference when the game dawned. Against the Serbians it was a +21 with just over half the distance covered. Madrid in the middle of the game can have some “flaws.” Of course, you would have to be very picky. Maybe some easy basket conceded without Tavares on the court, some attack with a certain thickness… but at halftime Scariolo’s team had missed four shots out of two, they were above 40 percent in triples with seven hits and they doubled the Balkans in rebounding.
Madrid showed organized talent for many minutes, one of the things its coach likes most. The team was also able to run and if the defense only allowed twelve points in the first quarter… the locals took command with great authority. The premiere of Maledon came with a red carpet of colleagues. The Frenchman is a player with a lot to contribute and he left details both at the beginning and at the end. At this point in the course, what is impossible is to maintain the excellent level shown at the start for a little more than half a game. The cracks came on an unexpected front. Campazzo entered into a dynamic of giving balls away (6 losses and negative evaluation) that did not distract the rest of the team because the arsenal that Scariolo has this season allows for some moles. Maledon and Hezonja returned and the differences shot up again to over twenty with only a quarter ahead.
In that scenario, a certain relaxation was understandable and that led to the emergence of the talent of the “partisans.” Obradovic has many players capable of scoring points. Washington, Parker, Marinkovic, Osetkowski woke up… and Madrid found themselves with a partial 9-24 with less than two minutes remaining (84-80). The team, with some of the new ones, did not hesitate. Lyles, who confesses that the adaptation to the game and to Madrid is being easy, left two key actions: one on each hoop, a block and a basket. Maledon left another pair and Partizan, despite a commendable effort, gave up.
In Valencia, five people, according to sources close to the police force, were arrested by the National Police in the anti-Israel demonstration in front of the Roig Arena, where Valencia Basket and Hapoel Tel Aviv faced each other. The attempts of a group of protesters to move forward from the place where they were concentrated led to an exchange of shoves with the agents, who detained five people. At that moment there were several charges to disperse the gathering, with shots into the air by the police and the lighting of some firecrackers by the protesters. The attempt to break the police cordon an hour and a half before the start of the match to approach the pavilion caused a small initial charge by the riot police. A protester was injured in the head after several of them tried to block traffic on Antonio Ferrandis Avenue and the Police carried out a charge to lift the dozen people who had sat in one of the lanes in front of the cars. According to the Government Delegation in the Valencian Community, these concentrations in front of the Roig Arena brought together a thousand people.
93. Real Madrid (24+28+23+18): Feliz (2), Kramer (0), Deck (6), Okeke (14) and Tavares (19) – starting quintet – Campazzo (2), Llull (3), Lyles (17), Hezonja (12), Fernando (2), Maledon (16) and Garuba (0).
86. Partizan (12+21+23+30): C. Jones (10), Brown (8), Parker (23), Bonga (5) and T. Jones (5) – starting quintet – Muurinen (0), Washington (11), Osetkowski (11), Marinkovic (13), Pokusevski (0) and Lakic (0).
Referees: Mogulkoc (Tur), Ryzhyk (Ucr) and Foufis (Gre). No eliminated.
Incidents: 8,278 spectators at the Movistar Arena. Match corresponding to the fourth day of the Euroleague.
4th day: Maccabi, 71-Barcelona, 92; Fenerbahçe, 69-Dubai Basketball, 93; Red Star, 88-Zalgiris Kaunas, 79; Olympiacos, 78-Anadolu Efes, 82; Bayern Munich, 64-Armani Milan, 53; Panathinaikos, 91-ASVEL Villeurbanne, 85; Virtus Bologna, 77-Monaco, 73; Valencia Basket, 93-Hapoel Tel Aviv, 99; Real Madrid 93-Partizan, 86 and Paris Basketball, 105-Baskonia, 87.
Rankings (wins/losses): 1. Zalgiris Kaunas (3/1); 2. Real Madrid (3/1); 3. Barcelona (3/1); 4. Paris Basketball (3/1); 5. Hapoel Tel Aviv (3/1); 6. Panathinaikos (3/1); 7. Monaco (2/2); 8. Olympiacos (2/2); 9. Valencia Basket (2/2); 10. Anadolu Efes (2/2); 11. Dubai Basketball (2/2); 12. Red Star (2/2); 13. Virtus Bologna (2/2); 14. Partizan (2/2); 15. Bayern Munich (2/2); 16. Armani Milan (1/3); 17. Fenerbahce (1/3); 18. ASVEL Villeurbanne (1/3); 19. Maccabi Tel Aviv (1/3); 20. Baskonia (0/4).