Madrid secure top spot in the Regular League

Real Madrid's victory at Río Breogán ensured that they will be the final leaders of the Regular League with three games to go. Chus Mateo's team are still unbeatable in the competition, where they have gone for more than five months and winning 19 straight games without tasting defeat, after a game in which they took their foot off the gas and had to wait until the last three minutes make sure of the result with a 0-8 run. Bruno Fernando led the team and was key in the second half (13 points, 8 rebounds and 25 PIR), accompanied by Musa (15 and 19) and Tavares (8 and 17).
Without Campazzo, Hezonja and Deck, the leaders arrived at a packed Pazo Provincial de Deportes de Lugo. They started strongly with a first quarter in which they led by 14 points in the ninth minute. From the tip off, they imposed a rhythm of high intensity (Chus Mateo used 11 of his 12 players) and scoring, with points from Llull, Musa and Ndiaye, who scored 15 between them. In addition, they combined good offensive play with solid defence, dominance at the rebound (16-8; 5 of them offensive) and only two turnovers against a Rio Breogán team that was clearly outplayed in this opening period (13-24, min. 10).
The leader withstands the home side’s onslaught
The comfortable lead vanished in the following minutes. Madrid stopped scoring freely, including free throws, and began to rush their attacks, having less success. Their opponents increased the intensity of their play and punished our defensive balance with easy baskets, mostly by Atic and Aranitovic, to get within two points at 27-29 with two minutes left in the first half. The introduction of Tavares and a shot by Llull at the buzzer allowed the leaders to regain a 7-point lead at half-time in a second quarter that was not very productive (27-34).
Madrid took an 11-point lead as soon as the third quarter started. A basket from Tavares and three-pointers from Ndiaye and Llull seemed to get the leaders going again (31-42, min. 22). But their lack of continuity in the following plays and 9 straight points from Grant, who drew two fouls on Abalde from 6.75, not only kept his side in the lead but also gave them wings. Kurucs, from three-point range, and Nakic made it 52-51 at the 28-minute mark.
Madrid's double reaction to win
Our team had to cope with a rival with the wind in their sails and the pressure of a packed stadium. They took a step forward in the two situations in which the game had been most complicated. They responded to going 52-51 behind with an 11-2 run in their favour. Musa and Bruno Fernando, the best performers today, gave Madrid a nine-point cushion in the first minutes of the final quarter, but another burst from the home side, from Grant and Vila, made it 69-69 with three minutes to play. That was a defensively tougher and more decisive in attack Madrid emerged, achieving a match-defining 0-8 run in which Hugo González, with a steal in which he forced an unsporting foul, and once again Bruno Fernando, in his best performance as a Madrid player (25 PIR) were decisive in continuing the winning streak in the league (69-79, min.40).
RIO BREOGÁN-REAL MADRID STATISTICS