Defeat in the EuroLeague opener

Real Madrid lost in the opening round of the EuroLeague against Dubai Basketball on the road in a match marked by intense equality, low accuracy, and continuous lead changes. Our team entered the final three minutes with a 6-point lead, but the hosts' surge forced them to play for the win on the final possession, and Feliz missed. Maledon, with 11 points and a performance index rating of 16, was the standout player for Pedro Martínez's squad.

The hosts started the game stronger, playing more aggressively and seeking points near the hoop through Bacon's drives (8 points). Madrid was off-target early on, which forced them to exert greater effort during the rest of the first quarter. The introduction of Maledon and Sarr gave our team more momentum, and with a 9-0 run in their favor, they took the lead (15-16, min. 9). Five points from Shengelia in the final minute left the score at 20-16.

Our team finds its rhythm in attack
Rebounding off the madridista hoop continued to set the pace of the game. Dubai Basketball had plenty of second-chance opportunities, which they capitalized on from the perimeter to keep adding points and, above all, to prevent Pedro Martínez's team from running the court. But our team found the accuracy they had been lacking up until then, and the game began to flow. Jantunen opened the scoring from three-point range with two of the four in this quarter, Maledon, our best player in the first half (10 points), dominated both ends against the Dubai point guards, while Luwawu-Cabarrot strung together 7 almost consecutive points. The presence of Tavares in the paint was also key to offsetting the deficit in defensive rebounds and achieving a 12-0 run that allowed the madridistas to take control of the game, heading into halftime at 38-44 after enjoying an 11-point lead.

Madrid had the final possession to win
A lead that vanished after the restart with a 9-0 run for the hosts led by Okobo (6 points). Madrid struggled in attack, but strong minutes from Jones in the paint (10 points + 3 rebounds) countered Bacon's scoring in a third quarter that ended with a narrow advantage for Dubai Basketball (63-62). The madridistas showed their best defensive level in the first part of the final quarter, conceding only two points in a 10-2 run that put them ahead 65-72 with five minutes to go. However, Dubai Basketball rallied and returned the run. A three-pointer by Wright IV with 55 seconds remaining put them ahead at 78-77. Madrid had the final possession to win with 10 seconds left. Feliz, who had scored two important baskets in this quarter, missed his layup, and the victory stayed in Dubai (78-77, min. 40).

Disclaimer: Translation generated by artificial intelligence. It may contain inaccuracies.

Disclaimer: Translation generated by artificial intelligence. It may contain inaccuracies.