Hapoel Tel Aviv-Real Madrid: unprecedented EuroLeague matchup
Scariolo's boys are chasing their seventh EuroLeague win against an opponent they meet for the first time ever in the competition (7:00 pm CET).
Real Madrid face a tough trip to the Botevgrad Arena in Bulgaria this evening, where they will face the current EuroLeague leaders, Hapoel Tel Aviv. The clash will be the first time the two teams lock horns in the continental competition, and Scariolo's boys head into it looking for another crucial away win in their attempts to climb the table.
Our boys are on a positive run of three successive victories across the League and EuroLeague (Bilbao Basket, Zalgiris Kaunas and Granada), having shown their offensive firepower in the last two - posting 100 and 111 points respectively. They're now facing two away games, including next Thursday's trip to Anadolu Efes - with the international break in between.
Up the other end, the surprise package in this year's EuroLeague. The core of players who lifted last year's Eurocup (Motley, Blakeney, Wainright, among others) have been joined by a differential talent in Micic, alongside other stars like former Efes man Bryant, and Oturu. Malcolm, Odiase and Jones, formerly of Valencia Basket, complete a well-stocked squad, who also have significant absences in Madar and Caboclo.
Defense and rebound
Real Madrid will have to be strong in defense, with the Israelis boasting the competition's most potent offense (92.1 points) with some impressive shooting percentages. They're a physical unit on the inside, but aren't particularly strong on the rebound. That's where our boys can rely on Garuba, Lyles (17.2 PIR), Tavares (top blocker with 2 per game) and company. Scariolo rested both Campazzo and Deck for Sunday's match, while another key man will surely be Maledon. The point guard last week picked up three MVP awards: for EuroLeague Round 12, matchday 8 in the League, and the month of November in the ACB.