Narrow defeat to Baskonia in EuroLeague

Real Madrid were defeated by Baskonia at the Buesa Arena on matchday three of the EuroLeague. Chus Mateo's charges gave everything they had for 40 minutes to win the clash but the home side prevailed. Tavares, with 14 points, 15 rebounds and 29 in PIR, was the standout performer for the Whites, who only shot 5 free throws in the 40 minutes. The Whites must now turn their attention to the next EuroLeague clash, on matchday four against Panathinaikos at the WiZink Center in less than 48 hours (Thursday, 8.45 pm CEST).  
 
The game started at a fast pace and a constant battle for the lead. The Whites contained the Vitoria team's offence through solid defensive play and good rebounding in attack (5, 3 of them by Tavares). Llull and Musa were the playmakers in the absence of Campazzo and Feliz, and the pick & roll with the Cape Verdean centre worked from the outset (4 points and 4 rebounds). There was also a strong contribution from Hezonja and Deck in scoring, with the only downside being the four turnovers with which Baskonia racked up easy baskets. The first two Madridista three-pointers gave the Whites a 5-point lead in the 11th minute (16-21).
 
An open clash
The team was less free-flowing in attack for a large part of the second quarter. Baskonia intensified their pressure and used their speed on the counter-attack. Forrest and Moneke brought the score back to 30-25 in the 15th minute. Chus Mateo introduced Llull and Musa again and it didn't take long for the response to materialise with a 0-6 run, in which Deck was instrumental, both in attack and in defending Howard, who went to the bench with three personal fouls. Only the home side's three-point accuracy at the end of the first half enabled them to take the lead at the break (36-35).
 
Madrid lack precision from three-point range
The parity lasted until the midway point of the third quarter, when Baskonia went 46-42 up after a five-point run by Sedekerskis. But Madrid had raised their defensive tempo, shutting down the hosts' star players and forcing the opposition to use up their possessions until the end of the quarter. Llull acted as the team's leader (6 assists), Musa contributed the points and Tavares provided the solidity at the back. Despite the lack of three-pointers, Madrid managed a 0-10 run in their best defensive quarter (12 points), which ended with 48-52 on the scoreboard.
 
Madrid, led by a brilliant Tavares in the paint, enjoyed a 6-point advantage at 56-62 in the 34th minute, which was a great bonus given the way the game was going. They also had several open shots to widen the gap but failed to hit them and triggered a Baskonia reaction. With the support of their fans, Howard's points and a single foul against them in the final quarter, Baskonia claimed the win (76-72, min. 40).
 
STATISTICS FROM BASKONIA-REAL MADRID