After the failure the previous day in Munich, Madrid unleashed itself against the European champion. Scariolo’s team beat Fenerbahçe by a landslide. The defense was outstanding and the attack was at the level of what a squad like the one in the hands of the Italian can offer. The next continental challenge will be at the Palau. Madrid will seek the first victory as a visitor after losing to Virtus, Estrella Roja, Maccabi and Bayern.
Fenerbahçe must have thought that they would be facing Real Madrid from the last two quarters in Munich and they found themselves at the start with an irrepressible team led by Campazzo and Tavares. The influence of the pivot is incontestable when he does not allow himself to be carried away by protests. That of the point guard at this beginning of the course too, although for the worse. “Facu” is now far from the player he has been. Against the Turks he started and stood out with a couple of triples without error when his percentage this year in Europe is below 30 percent. The icing on the cake at a perfect 3:29 was a counterattack that passed through the hands of four players without dribbling and ended in a triple by Abalde. With that inertia, Madrid opened an excessive gap very early (22-6).
The Ottomans are far from the European champions they were. Without Guduric and without Hayes-Davis the hole in Jasikevicius’ squad is considerable and the weight of the inside game is very low. The team woke up for a few moments when they chained a streak of external success. Madrid’s response was wild and came led by the wildest element of the entire squad, Usman Garuba. The youth player, “encouraged” by the close presence of new competition, since Alex Len was sitting next to the bench, spread energy. And that which is sometimes counterproductive had a tremendous positive impact. He placed three blocks – Madrid put seven in two quarters and finished with nine -, he was as hyperactive as usual in both areas and managed to ensure that Tavares was not missed. And that’s saying a lot. As Maledon joined the party before the break the difference skyrocketed (47-20).
Jasikevicius’s anger in the locker room was heard in Navacerrada. His looks and talks to the bench when Madrid took off were at the level of maestro Obradovic, although without the red face. Madrid’s defense was extraordinary in the first two quarters, but from there they scored three baskets in play in the second quarter, one in the last 7:51, conceding a partial 20-2… the team did not stop being ambitious as the advantage grew and that is why with half a game left it barely remained to be seen that Bayern would not happen. It didn’t happen and the differences reached over thirty. The balance of the Turks this week in Spain is astonishing: -15 in Valencia and -26 in Madrid.
84. Real Madrid (25+24+15+18): Campazzo (11), Abalde (9), Deck (5), Lyles (14) and Tavares (13) – starting quintet – Maledon (15), Feliz (0), Hezonja (5), Procida (2), Garuba (10), Kramer (0) and Llull (0).
58. Fenerbahçe (16+6+11+23): Baldwin (14), Wilbekin (2), Tarik (2), Jantunen (0) and Bacot (10) – starting quintet – Melli (3), Horton Tucker (10), Hall (4), Birch (1), Colson (7), Birsen (0) and Bitim (5).
Referees: Hordov (Cro), Latisevs (Let) and Petek (Esl). No eliminated.
Incidents: 8,425 spectators at the Movistar Arena. Match corresponding to the eighth day of the Euroleague. A minute of silence was observed in memory of José Manuel Ochotorena.
Eighth day: Zalgiris Kaunas, 96-ASVEL Villeurbanne, 59; Maccabi Tel Aviv, 92-Red Star, 99; Bayern Munich, 86-Virtus Bologna, 70; Valencia Basket, 80-Dubai Basketball, 78; Armani Milan, 86-Paris Basketball, 77; Real Madrid, 84-Fenerbahçe, 58; Monaco-Panathinaikos (19:00); Olympiacos-Hapoel Tel Aviv (20:15); Baskonia-Anadolu Efes (20:30) and Partizan-Barcelona (20:30). (All in Movistar +).
Classification (wins/losses): 1. Zalgiris Kaunas (6/2); 2. Red Star (6/2); 3. Hapoel Tel Aviv (6/1); 4. Panathinaikos (5/2); 5. Olympiacos (4/3); 6. Monaco (4/3); 7. Barcelona (4/3); 8. Paris Basketball (4/4); 9. Valencia Basket (4/4); 10. Real Madrid (4/4); 11. Virtus Bologna (4/4); 12. Bayern Munich (4/4); 13. Anadolu Efes (3/4); 14. Partizan (3/4); 15. Fenerbahce (3/5); 16. Dubai Basketball (3/5); 17. Armani Milan (3/5); 18. ASVEL Villeurbanne (2/6); 19. Maccabi Tel Aviv (2/6); 20. Baskonia (1/6).