Just a few weeks ago nobody dared to cough at Real Madrid, the most dominant team in the ACB and the one that left the best feelings in the first appearances of the season. But little by little, Chus Mateo’s team was watered down because there was no clear plan for when times were tough. This Sunday they suffered their first ACB defeat, the third in the last 10 days after defeats to Barcelona and Olympiakos in the Euroleague that knocked the Whites off the top of the table. There are no more unbeaten sides and now it’s the Azulgrana who top the regular league after beating Lenovo Tenerife (67-65), who suffered their first defeat in Palau.
Baskonia ended Real Madrid’s unbeaten run in the ACB in an incredibly even game (88-82) that was decided at the last minute. With 51 seconds remaining, Chus Mateo’s men were ahead thanks to a three-goal from Sergio Rodríguez (81-82). But Baskonia scored immediately with another three from Thompson and capped it off with a great defense, blocking two outside shots on Yabusele and Llull and a couple of switching attacks while Madrid looked for the winner’s basket.
The shipwreck of Real Madrid at the Buesa Arena has highlighted the major flaws that have increased in the white team in recent weeks: the defeats, 12 in total, five in the second quarter where Baskonia got their beards (23-14) ; and the lack of success from outside, 7/23 in a hat-trick, was made up for in the second half after just two of 11 had been scored before the break. Baskonia knew how to pick the Whites out of trouble where they are very strong and was bolstered by the outstanding performance of Daulton Hommes, the game’s top scorer with 24 points, five from eight from threes.
Although the game started perfectly for Real Madrid with an 8-0 initial run without much fuss, things soon got complicated. There was an offensive dip in the second four and Joan Peñarroya’s men took command of the game, rocking Madrid on both sides of the pitch. With a run of 18-2, they achieved their maximum advantage (32-23) and left Los Blancos on the brink of the abyss. Madrid bounced back with penetrations from Musa and Yabusele to finish the first half four points down (37-33) and come back like a rocket from the break. In three minutes they took the lead after a long slipstream and shot up to +8 at the end of the third quarter thanks to a three-pointer from Llull and a 2+1 from Musa (50-58).
But in the last and last act, Baskonia hit with full force. Hommes wiped out the Whites’ lead with two consecutive trebles (66-66), while Chus Mateo lost his nerve on the bench due to his team’s defensive passivity. “Where are the hands!?” he scolded his team in dead time. The game was reduced to a slugfest, with Yabusele monopolizing the score for his team. 12 consecutive points from the boiling French were answered by the collective work of Baskonia. Madrid couldn’t count on their best soldier, Edy Tavares, in the final, who was eliminated by five fouls before the last and crucial minute, when Madrid got a cross for the first time in the ACB this season.
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