Copa del Rey champions!

Real Madrid are the kings of the cup as the Whites were crowned Copa del Rey champions for the 29^th time in the club’s history to further enhance their legendary status. Chus Mateo's troops, as they did four years ago at the Martín Carpena, clinched the title by edging out Barça in a hard-fought final in which they gave it their all and played like a true all-star team. It was a fantastic performance collectively and individually, with Deck at his best (13 points), Yabusele (15 and 21 in PIR), another outstanding performance by Poirier (17 and 32) and Campazzo (18); and Musa (15) and Hezonja (12) popping up at important moments. This was the sixth Copa del Rey for the madridistas in 11 years and the second trophy of the campaign following the Spanish Super Cup triumph. Campazzo rounded off a magnificent tournament with his second consecutive MVP of the season. A special mention to the Madrid fans in the stadium, who ensured another magical night at the WiZink Center.

The final began at a very high tempo, with Real Madrid taking the initiative for much of the first quarter owing to their strong defensive efforts, nullifying Barcelona's inside players, dominating the rebounding and sprinting when they had the slimmest of opportunities, spearheaded by Campazzo. Musa, with 7 points, and Yabusele, with 4 and 4 rebounds, opened up a 7-point lead. The introduction of Jokubaitis and Laprovittola sparked more outside shooting for the Catalans and with a run that allowed them to build a lead heading into the second quarter.

Maximum parity
Madrid withstood the pressure and levelled the game on 26 points. From that point on, the game moved into an open period and a frenetic battle for control of the game. The Whites passed the ball swiftly, finding an inspired Hezonja. The small forward spearheaded a stunning run of 12 points in a row. The Sergio Rodríguez-Poirier partnership was accompanied by two alley-oops from the Madrid players. Chus Mateo's charges focused on stopping Barça from the perimeter, and the Catalans looked to attack close to the hoop with breaks from Brizuela and Parker. The score was 43-45 at half-time.

The dynamics of the game did not change one bit after the re-start. Every possession was fiercely contested and Madrid threw everything they had at it. There could be no other way against a team like Barça. They continued to play aggressively in defence with some superb work from Deck on Satoransky and from the team in the rebounding department. In attack Madrid broke through the opposition's defence by driving to the hoop resolutely and determinedly. Deck is a master at that. The small forward was the focal point in a third quarter that Madrid took by a 21-19 margin after four consecutive points from Poirier (66-63, min. 30).

Madrid's winning spirit
The best was yet to come. The crowning moment of what is the DNA of this team. Solidarity, commitment and a hunger for victory. The team was ready to strike the definitive blow to clinch the final. From the three-point line, two from Yabusele and another from Deck, and defensive determination, they opened a gap on the scoreboard with a nine-point cushion in the 33rd minute. It was a run that was worth its weight in gold at this moment in time. Madrid defended it to the death, despite Barça pulling to within three points with three minutes to go. Poirier stepped up in both zones and always had something positive to contribute in the form of dribbles, dunks and blocks. He was accompanied by Campazzo, deserved MVP of the tournament, and Musa to round off an almost perfect performance with a 15-8 run that sealed the victory to the delirious Madrid fans, who kept cheering their team on at the Martín Carpena (96-85).

REAL MADRID-BARÇA STATISTICS