Real Madrid stumble again against CSKA and still can’t win there in the Pablo Laso era

Moscow again. For the ninth season in a row, the team led by Pablo Laso has been unable to win at the CSKA Megasport. The cursed field of a Real Madrid that this time fell by 60-55 in a defense match and two rivals who know each other perfectly. In addition, the whites yield in their 13 consecutive victories and return to the doors of the historical record in Euroleague of the section.

When Madrid defeated Zalgiris last week, he managed to match his best historical record in Europe in consecutive wins. But those of Laso have never been characterized by staying to look at the numbers and as the next challenge they were planted in Moscow, this time to try another impossible: win at the Megasport, which could never be done in eight years. The feat looked good, which would also serve to mark a new record of 14 consecutive wins. However, the Moscow nightmare came again. Nine seasons without Laso being able to get a win from there.

And that from the beginning, with the mallet giving and enduring the defense, the merengue team was submitting that of Itoudis until reaching +7 difference with a triple of Campazzo (9-16). Hines and James tried to cut distances, but this time a Thompkins basket closed the first quarter with the clear Real Madrid lead (14-21).

The second attack followed a similar rhythm, with an unexpected triple of Kings that added to the good defenses threw Madrid to the maximum of +12 (14-26). But the Russians are not to give up soon and led by Hilliard, James and Koufos drew their champion spirit to cut distances at the insistence of the Mickey or Laprovittola. A second meringue unit, where Llull returned (without success) after more than a month of leave, which would end up holding the local arreón and leaving the 26-33 to rest.

The losses of Rudy and Randolph in the visitors were not being noticed until then, but the second half began and those of Laso began to weigh their legs for the benefit of the CSKA. Especially from an unexpected Mike James, who with six straight points and a partial 8-0 starter put his own one up for the first time in the afternoon (34-33). The game was already in its climax, the two well-defined arsenals that began to exchange bombings. Hines first, Tavares later, Koufos replied, Campazzo returned and Hilliard left the equalizer for the last ten minutes (43-43).

The Megasport in style and Mickey who completely dislodged him with a triple to open the last quarter, but a loss of Taylor, an easy basket of Sant-Roos and another of Bolomboy after a multitude of Russian offensive rebounds returned to those of Itoudis to the leadership of the meeting. There were still seven minutes left and Madrid went into some unsuccessful attacks, while James and Hines were responsible for taking theirs to +3 (53-50). Laprovittola and James scored in two and with the last two minutes both teams knew that the one that failed was going to be the winner. He was able to interpret the CSKA better, with a triple from Hilliard to sentence the night (60-55).

That in which Madrid fell again, the impregnable field for Laso. Moscow is still cursed land and breaks the streak of 13 consecutive victories of the hitherto leader. On the other hand, those of Itoudis continue the persecution and already add a 13-6 that leaves them to two triumphs of the merengue table.

DATA SHEET

–OUTCOME: CSKA Moscow 60-55 Real Madrid.

–CSKA MOSCOW: Mike James (19), Johannes Voigtmann (3), Darrun Hilliard (14), Nikita Kurbanov (4) and Kyle Hines (10); Joel Bolomboy (2), Ivan Ukhov (0), Semen Antonov (0), Andrey Vorontsevich (0), Howard Sant-Roos (4), Kosta Koufos (4) and Ron Baker (0).

–REAL MADRID: Fabien Causeur (3), Facundo Campazzo (11), Gabriel Deck (4), Walter Tavares (2) and Trey Thompkins (14); Nicolas Laprovittola (8), Felipe Reyes (3), Jaycee Carroll (2), Sergio Llull (0), Jordan Mickey (5), Jeffery Taylor (3) and Salah Mejri (0).

–PARTIALS: 14-21, 12-12, 17-10, 17-12.

–REFEREES: Christos Christodoulou, Carmelo Paternico and Joseph Bissang.

–PAVILION: Megasport Arena.