To the EuroLeague Final Four

Real Madrid will be present in the Final Four in Athens, their fourth in five years and the eleventh since 2011, after defeating Hapoel Tel Aviv in the fourth game played in Bulgaria, closing the series with a 3-1 aggregate. Scariolo's team shone defensively and remained solid in attack during the opponent's strongest pushes, with a standout performance from Garuba (16 points and a 20 PIR) and the best version of Maledon (14 points and 18 PIR), who led a group of 7 players scoring between 7 and 16 points. Their semifinal opponent will be the winner of the Valencia Basket-Panathinaikos series (1-2).

Hapoel Tel Aviv started better. With Micic orchestrating and Oturu dominating the paint (10 points), the locals took the initiative with a 13-4 run in the first five minutes. Scariolo brought on Garuba, and Real Madrid changed the dynamics of the game. The power forward transformed the team, boosting aggression and rebounding. The ball began to move more fluidly, and the team found their shooting touch. Hezonja (7 points), Campazzo, and Okeke (5 points) led a great comeback to close the first quarter ahead with two consecutive baskets from Maledon, completing an 18-9 run in their favor (21-23, min. 10).

Madrid Takes Off and Holds On
Our team stepped up defensively, forcing continuous turnovers from their opponent, with a total influence from Garuba, who was omnipresent on the court, contributing steals, rebounds, and blocks. Another positive note was the offensive support from players like Feliz and Lyles. Hapoel was overwhelmed by our best minutes in Bulgaria. A 0-13 opening run extended to 0-17 in 4 minutes, putting the scoreboard at 21-36 by the 13th minute.

But Itoudis's team would extinguish the fire. They temporarily regained control of the rebound and forced us into several rushed plays. With contributions from Madar, Oturu, and a bit of Bryant, the locals responded to close within 5 points in the final stretch. It was Feliz who stepped up to counter the opponent's surge, while Campazzo capped off a very good first half by breaking Timor's ankles and finishing with a three-pointer (36-46).

Maledon’s Masterclass
Real Madrid faced an offensive slump for much of the third quarter but remained focused defensively. That allowed them to fend off Hapoel Tel Aviv, which relied heavily on Micic and free throws during a period when they went to the foul line seven times more than we did. However, there was always a player who stepped up to score and keep the locals at bay. Five points from Maledon, who delivered a masterclass in driving to the basket, allowed us to enter the final stretch with a +10 lead (53-63, min. 30).

Team Performance to Seal the Series
Hapoel made an effort as a great team should but lacked real chances to get back into the game despite the outstanding performances of Micic and Oturu (47 points combined). The solid version of Real Madrid, where everyone contributed and demonstrated their strength as a team, prevented it. Lyles, Deck, Campazzo with an and-one, Hezonja, and Garuba, who despite finger discomfort from the previous game, gave his all until the last second. Real Madrid built a 15-point advantage entering this quarter and left no room for the Israelis (81-87, min. 40).

Hapoel Tel Aviv-Real Madrid Statistics

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