- Laso's endorse Maccabi their first local defeat and break their bad streak
Real Madrid cut its crisis of results in the Euroleague of basketball with a victory (77-81) against Maccabi on day 22, a worked triumph in the hitherto impregnable Menora Mivtachim Arena to recover the fight on the continental podium.
Those of Pablo Laso pulled the return of Anthony Randolph (19 points and 7 rebounds) after a month of injury, Fabien Causeur (12), the direction of 'Facu' Campazo (11 points and 8 assists) and the intimidation of Walter Tavares ( 11 and 10 rebounds). After three defeats in Europe, Madrid gets 16-6 to defend their third position tied with CSKA and on the lookout for the intractable Anadolu Efes (18-3).
In search of its best version and its rival trying to prevent it, Madrid's visit to Tel Aviv left a thick first time. Without excessive brightness in attack, especially a low percentage of triples in both teams and 20 losses in total. Randolph, 13 points and 5 rebounds in the first quarter, returned eagerly at a high-speed start, with Wilbekin giving a replica in the premises.
Madrid did not close its rebound and was under the break with the premiere of Amar'e Stoudamire and his first and only two points (36-28). The resumption, however, was white, with Facu attending the Causeur trays. The visiting defense also rose in level, an adjustment in which Tavares had a lot to do, which complicated the locals to find that second option and an offensive reference.
Randolph added again and achieved the advantage of 10 points on the edge of the last quarter (44-54), but Maccabi did not throw in the towel finding the success of the triple. Wilbekin wanted to pull the car, also the emergence of Cohen or Acy of three, and they pressed the marker three minutes from the end (66-68), as they also tightened the defense against the fights of Ioannis Sfairopoulos in dead time.
With the ball on the roof of Madrid, a steal from Thompkins, a rebound from Tavares and a triple from Campazzo to finish a round play they seemed to close the win a minute and a half from the end (67-74) but Dorsey forced two triples to one last effort of Madrid. Those from Laso lower the fumes to a Maccabi in 14-8 on the table and win on a demanding court to regain the missing confidence.
DATA SHEET.
–OUTCOME: MACCABI TEL AVIV, 77 – REAL MADRID, 81. (38-36, at rest).
–EQUIPMENT.
MACCABI: Bryant (5), Wilbekin (21), Caloiaro (2), Acy (9) and Hunter (8) – initial quintet – Acy, Reynolds (4), S. Cohen (-), Jackson (2), Avdija (7), Dorsey (9), Stoudamire (2) and Jake Cohen (8).
REAL MADRID: Campazzo (11), Causeur (12), Deck (4), Randolph (19) and Tavares (11) – initial quintet–; Llull (5), Mickey (2), Rudy Fernández (-), Taylor (5), Carroll (-) and Thompkins (12).
–PARTIALS: 19-21, 19-15, 11-21, 28-24.
– ARBITRATORS: Lamonica, Rocha and Nikolic. Without eliminated.
–PAVILION: Menora Mivtachim Arena, 10,689 spectators.