Madrid defeated in final seconds

Real Madrid came away empty handed from their trip to Belgrade's Aleksandar Nikolic Hall to face Maccabi on EuroLeague matchday seven. Our team dominated the opening three periods but were unable to halt the Israeli outfit's comeback, which saw them snatch victory in the final second when Lee made his shot. Belgrade was the setting for a European classic that started slowly. Madrid, without Musa, Ibaka, Garuba and Feliz, relied on play under the post with Tavares and Hezonja, while the Israelis looked sharp from three thanks to Sorkin (8-11; min. 5). Llull then took to the court to bring a much needed energy boost to our team, hitting two triples to take an evenly-matched first quarter.

Maccabi were causing us problems with the rebound at both ends, while their precision from 6.75 continued (7 of 10 three-pointers). Chus Mateo's boys hit back with swift transitions to ensure they didn't drop away on the scoreboard (33-29; min. 15). In fact, with not long to go before the half-time break, the madridistas stretched the scores well in their favour. The inimitable Campazzo led the charge with 9 successive points, spearheading a 0-14 run for our team. The second quarter ended with a Hezonja basket that made it 36-43.

The Israeli side came out inspired in the second half and began chipping away at the deficit (40-43; min. 23). It was a balanced affair at the Aleksandar Nikolic Hall, and that was clear for all to see when Maccabi tied it at 49-49. Once more, Madrid responded with a solid defensive rebound, hard running, and improved success rate from three. Abalde and Hezonja teamed up to pull the lead to seven points with 28 minutes played (51-58). It was another strong end for the period for our guys, who made it 55-64 before the buzzer.

Last-minute madness
Nothing was decided yet, and Chus Mateo's boys would need to keep their energy up to take victory in Belgrade. Maccabi stepped it up a gear at the start of the final quarter, with a 7-2 run, but Madrid had Llull and Tavares to thank for another strong response (64-71; min. 36). The hosts then produced a reaction of their own, taking the scores to 77-78. When our team turned over their possession with 12 seconds to go, the final play saw Lee hit his shot pretty much bang on the buzzer to clinch the point for the Israelis.

MACCABI-REAL MADRID STATISTICS