Narrow defeat against Unicaja

Real Madrid were unable to extend their 19-match winning streak at the start of this season, losing to Unicaja on matchday ten in the League. The WiZink Center hosted an extremely tight affair which we were winning by 21 points at the beginning of the third quarter, before Unicaja turned the game on its head in the second half. Campazzo (18 points) and Hezonja, who was making his 100th appearance for our team (14), were the top performers, and we retain top spot in the table despite defeat.

The game began in attacking fashion, with the two teams showing why they boast the league's top two offenses. The first quarter was loaded with points and played at a frenetic pace. Madrid took the initiative early on, with Campazzo setting the tempo (8 points and 3 assists) and shooting well from three (5/8). Deck supported his compatriot with points, with a further 8. Unicaja resisted the madridista onslaught with hard running and by punishing our lack of defensive balance. They were also strong from the perimeter (4/8) with Taylor and Kravish leading the way. An Osetkowski triple made it 25-26 at the end of the first period.

Madrid let fly
Continuous rotations maintained the pace high in the second quarter. The league leaders improved on the offensive rebound and stifled the Unicaja threat on the counter. Chus Mateo's team looked like a whole new prospect in defense. Stepping up a gear and with Poirier dominating the paint (5 rebounds), they reduced the opposition's numbers, allowing them only 13 points in the quarter. Up the other end, they continued to score freely from three (four more triples), this time headed by Hezonja (9), Rudy (7) and Sergio Rodríguez (8). The three combined for 24 points to put our boys +15 at the break thanks to a 29-13 run (54-39).

Madrid's high levels continues at the start of the second half. Solid at the back and playing by heart in offense, some new faces entered the fray. Abalde led an 8-2 run to take the advantage to above 20 points (62-41, min.22). Unicaja refused to lie down though, reacting as they know how. They brought madness to the game, forcing our boys into more mistakes. On the counter and the triple, with Djedovic and Kravish proving flawless, the Malaga side got back to within four points. When things were looking tough, Hezonja came to the fore. The forward played a crucial role in pausing the visitors' push with five successive points to make it 72-66 at the end of quarter three.

Madrid fight to the end
Unicaja were still making life very difficult, with Kravish and Kalinoski finding some stunning form. A triple from the forward tied the game at 81 with 35 on the clock. Madrid found a swift response from Sergio Rodríguez and Poirier, but there were five tense minutes still to play. Each and every point was worth its weight in gold and the opposition proved the sharper of the two teams. Led by Taylor, they put together a 10-17 run that even the efforts of Campazzo failed to turn around (93-99, min.40). Prior to tip-off, Chus Mateo and Tavares had received their awards as AEEB Coach of the Year and ACB League MVP for October, respectively.

REAL MADRID-UNICAJA STATISTICS