Real Madrid defeated Maccabi Tel Aviv 116-113 this Tuesday, with prominent roles from point guard Facundo Campazzo and power forward Eli John Ndiaye, in a match corresponding to matchday 21 of the Euroleague regular season, where the meringues have increased their positive streak to already touch the playoff positions.
At the Movistar Arena, the start was not tense despite the hundred pro-Palestine protesters outside the venue. On the field everything was sporting and it was soon noticed that the defenses were going to have a bad afternoon-night. On the back of Roman SorkinMaccabi went 5-13, to which Facu Campazzo and Dzanan Musa responded in attack.
In fact, a three-pointer from the Argentine guard brought the Madridistas closer and the Bosnian forward’s free throws prevented the Israeli team from leaving again. Another usual suspect was yet to emerge at Real Madrid, a Mario Hezonja who turned the score around (26-24) and encouraged the local team, where Usman Garuba stood out in his low post work.
When it seemed that the whites were going to seal the first quarter with quite a gap thanks to the contribution of the Azuqueca de Henares power forward, the former culé player Rokas Jokubaitis invented a triple at the horn on the last possession, with the defense on top of Xavi Rathan-Mayes, and established the 33-30 score that gave way to another prolific period.
Having come back with successes in the ‘paint’ (33-36), Oded Kattash’s pupils kept their wits about an opponent who had no fuel. A ‘mandarin’ from Sergio Llull from beyond the arc (49-50) lifted the team, who wanted greater involvement from their team behind, but saw Sorkin score again and Jaylen Hoard perform well under the hoops.
To make matters worse, a triple by Rafi Menco increased the score to 57-63 to send the game to halftime. And despite a three-pointer with suspense from Musa shortly after the start of the third act, the dynamics continued against a Real Madrid that He grabbed Eli Ndiaye and Andrés Feliz for their key offensive moments, in addition to increasing intensity in defense.
Of course, Chus Mateo spent patience to see reward, as his pupils went 62-74 down. There were 6:26 left to close the quarter and a triple from Campazzo started a 19-4 run, culminated with a lateral triple from Feliz that had finally connected with the stands. Eight triples in total were scored by the meringues in this third period.
When starting the next one, Hezonja quickly achieved a 2+1 by fouling Sorkinwho became desperate and almost immediately committed another personal foul; He protested that decision vehemently and the referee trio ended up pointing out a technique that left him eliminated for the rest of the match.
There were still 8:04 left to go, a world away, so Maccabi entrusted themselves to Hoard on the inside and Jokubaitis on the outside. On the local team, and with both on the court at the same time, point guards Llull and Campazzo took the lead to dominate several times by five points (97-92, 103-98, 105-100); However, in front of them they did not lower their arms.
Supporting his quick shot on the board, Jasiel Rivero took advantage of a chipped assist from Jokubaitis; and the next play, Rivero himself strongly blocked Garuba to forge a counterattack in which Tamir Blatt tied the score (105-105), based on a frontal triple with only 2:59 left on the game clock.
After an exchange of successful free throws, Hezonja wanted to take center stage. He himself got another 2+1 and took the fifth foul against Hoard, but he missed a shot in the next merengue attack and by Maccabi Yes, Levi Randolph and then Rivero scored basketsin a weak defensive action by Walter ‘Edy’ Tavares.
Next, Musa caused another personal foul with one of his typical drives to the rim and converted both free throws, making it 114-113. With 27.5 left on the clock, Randolph couldn’t find any way to put together a shot on the light bulb and passed the ball late to Marial Shayok, who ate up possession on her lateral triple attempt.
The omnipresent Campazzo was fouled very quickly and also converted his two free throws, leaving the duel for sentencing. In desperation and with only 3.0 left to play, Randolph missed another triple from the corner and completed the defeat of a Maccabi that is seventeenth with a balance of 5-16, far from what was expected.
For their part, Chus Mateo’s team continues to be in full ascendant momentum, now with a 12-6 record and increasingly closer to chasing Red Star and Paris Basketball, who are momentarily the last two tenants of a ‘top 6’ very expensive this season in the Euroleague.
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