Real Madrid-Hapoel Tel Aviv: aiming for 2-0 in the EuroLeague playoff
Scariolo's team will aim for another victory at the Movistar Arena before the series moves to Bulgaria (8:45 pm; Movistar Plus+).
Real Madrid will look tonight, at a Movistar Arena where they have accumulated 15 consecutive victories, to make it 2-0 in the EuroLeague playoff against Hapoel Tel Aviv after their triumphant debut last Wednesday. A second game of great importance in the series, as the four times our team has won the first two games, they have qualified for the Final Four.
The madridistas will try to take a significant step in the series and head to Bulgaria with two chances to close it out. To do so, they will have to beat Hapoel Tel Aviv for the fourth time this season, a team whose goal is to take away home-court advantage from Scariolo's side, which will be without a key player like Tavares following his injury to the medial collateral ligament in his left knee during the first game. However, Madrid has proven that it does not rely on just one player. Teamwork was key to defeating the Israeli team the other day, dominating them for much of the game.
Because Madrid played as a team, with Campazzo leading five players in double-digit efficiency ratings, and because, despite not having great shooting percentages, they found alternatives to keep scoring. They won the rebound battle, as they did in the previous three games against Hapoel Tel Aviv, and that often leads to victory. A significant portion of their offense came from 16 offensive rebounds (special mention to Okeke, who grabbed 6), and they played a very secure game, committing just 8 turnovers. Itoudis' team has the ability to bounce back at any moment, relying on the individual quality of their players.
The importance of a 2-0 lead
Success from beyond the arc (42.3%), with contributions from Blakeney, and the growth of Oturu (20 points and 17 rebounds) were their biggest threats. But Hapoel has many more, starting with Micic. The support of the fans will be crucial, as on Wednesday they once again turned the Movistar Arena into a venue for great European nights despite the reduced capacity. History shows that the four times Real Madrid has gone 2-0 in a playoff, they have won the third game as well and advanced to the Final Four (Maccabi 2012-13 and 2021-22, Panathinaikos 2018-19, and Baskonia 2023-24). Tonight, the second clash between the madridistas and the Israelis.