Hiopos Lleida-Real Madrid: the team seek a 9th consecutive league victory

Real Madrid bring an intense week of three games in five days to a close today in Lleida. Less than 48 hours after beating Paris Basketball in the EuroLeague, Scariolo's men visit Barris Nord on matchday 11 of the Endesa League, where they are top of the table with nine wins in 10 games, the last eight of which have been consecutive.

Our team will be looking to maintain their lead in their penultimate league outing of the year and secure a tenth win. They are in great form, having won eight of their last nine games in both competitions. They are coming off a win over Paris Basketball in the EuroLeague at the Movistar Arena. And against Granada, away, and Bàsquet Girona, at home, they have been scoring attacking highs (111 and 112 points respectively).

Hiopos Lleida are competing well and with four wins are one place away from the playoff spots and the top eight that will go to the Copa del Rey. They started strongly but have now lost four games in a row, although they have been more solid at home, winning three games. Their key players are the forwards Batemon, Agada and Paulí, and the centres Ejim and Goloman, who account for most of their scoring.

The best shot-blocking Madrid team in the league in the last 35 years
Today, the two most intimidating teams in the competition face each other. Real Madrid, which is averaging a spectacular 5 blocks per game, and Lleida, with 3.9. A record, set by Scariolo's team, that has not been seen since the 1990/91 season.

That Madrid team averaged 5.6 blocks with a squad that included Stanley Roberts (2.8), Romay (1), Carl Herrera (0.9) and Antonio Martín (0.6). In the current team, Tavares, the league's leading shot blocker (3), Len (1.7), Garuba (0.7) and Okeke (0.6) lead this statistical category. The highest historical average in the ACB is held by the Madrid team of the 1983/84 season with 6.4.