Madrid rack up third consecutive EuroLeague win

Real Madrid overcame Partizan Belgrade to secure their third consecutive victory at the Movistar Arena. Scariolo's side, who remain unbeaten at home (four out of four including the league), defeated the Serbian team following a spectacular first half (52-33) and a comprehensive team performance with five players reaching double figures in points and PIR: Tavares (19 and 27), Lyles (17 and 24), Okeke (14 and 17) and Maledon, who in his Madrid debut in this competition scored 16 points, including a decisive three-pointer, and 22 in PIR.

The Whites were dominant from the start. They defended superbly from the outset. Everyone did a great job at the back, working together to limit Partizan to 12 points in the first quarter. They were relentless on the defensive rebound and far superior overall (13 to 4). In attack, they were highly aggressive around the basket. Tavares (8 points) and Deck (4 points and 3 rebounds) spearheaded a very distributed scoring display to reach 24 points in this opening quarter and double the Serbs' tally (24-12, min. 10).

Madrid increases their lead
Lyles further widened the gap with the team's first eight points in the second quarter. It was a masterclass in the basics that saw Madrid take a 20-point lead (32-14, min. 12). Partizan were unable to surmount Madrid's intense defence and added points sparingly through C. Jones and Marinkovic. They faced an extremely focused team (75% FG and 43.8% 3FG) with a clear game plan. Every substitution made an impact.

Maledon made his EuroLeague debut with Madrid and, despite having been inactive for almost a month, he showed his outstanding quality (6 points without a miss, 2 rebounds and 2 assists). Campazzo provided assists (3 passes) and Tavares dominated his opponents with his presence in the paint and his blocks (10 points, 5 rebounds and 2 blocks). Three three-pointers from Okeke capped off the best first half of the season so far (52-33).

The game offered no respite. Partizan stepped up a gear after the break. They improved offensively, thanks to Parker and C. Jones, coinciding with a few minutes when the Madridistas were less clinical. But the resources available to Scariolo's team are boundless. Lyles, Tavares, Okeke, Maledon and Hezonja (all 5 finished the third quarter in double digits in scoring) provided ammunition in moments of the visitors' surge to recover the 19-point lead from the first half (75-56, min. 30).

Maledon decides the contest
The game deviated from the script drawn up during the previous 30 minutes. Madrid's performance at both ends of the court slackened and the Serbians stepped up their game. Washington and Parker led the way for their team, who gradually clawed their way back to within 86-82 with a minute and a half to go. But that was as far as they got. The Whites regained their steam and struck the final blow. Maledon capped off a fine debut with a decisive three-pointer. Lyles, off a wonderful assist from Campazzo, and two more free throws from the Frenchman sealed the game (93-86, min. 40). In less than 48 hours, the Madridistas face a tough game against Crvena Zvezda (Thursday, 7 pm CEST).

STATISTICS FROM REAL MADRID-PARTIZAN