Madrid loses the EuroLeague final

Real Madrid was unable to secure a victory against Olympiacos in the EuroLeague final, which was held at the Telekom Center in Athens. Despite the significant absences of Tavares, Len, and Garuba, and several controversial refereeing calls, they stood up to the Greek team and competed until the very last moment of a very close game in which they had a three-pointer to tie the game with 11 seconds left that didn’t go in. Lyles, with 24 points and a PIR of 30, was our team’s leading scorer.

Madrid's performance was nothing short of incredible given the hostile atmosphere and the circumstances they were facing. They came out swinging, with top-notch defense and tremendous determination on offense. And with a standout performance from Lyles. The American scored 13 points in 6 minutes, leading a 3-15 run. Olympiacos, as expected, looked to dominate the paint and gradually found points from Milutinov and Vezenkov. Even so, Scariolo’s men managed to minimize the Greek team’s outside threat and keep them at bay in the first quarter (19-26).  

Madrid Holds Off Olympiacos's Surge

A three-pointer by Abalde, his second of the game right at the start of the second quarter, put Madrid up by 10 points. But the final offered no respite. The Greek team pressed hard with their second unit, which began scoring from the perimeter with Fournier, Ward, and Peters. Between the three of them, they scored 23 of their team’s 25 points in this period. Madrid held off the “home” team’s surge with three-pointers—one from Llull and two more from Lyles (21 points at halftime)—because their opponent wouldn’t give them second chances. They also didn’t get a single trip to the free-throw line in the entire first half. Olympiacos, on the other hand, went to the line nine times (46-44, min. 20).

Olympiacos upped the physical intensity, but Madrid was ready for the battle. And that was despite the fact that the three referees weren’t applying the same standards. McKissic further heated up the game with an uncalled foul on Campazzo and a subsequent provocation that sparked a scuffle, resulting in a technical foul for each player. It didn’t succeed in unsettling Scariolo’s team. They showed grit and banded together on defense to secure the rebounds and hold Olympiacos to 15 points in the third quarter. A 10-0 run, when they were trailing 54-50, allowed them to regain the lead thanks to points from Feliz and Hezonja before heading into the final stretch (61-65, min. 30).

Madrid, Against All Odds

Olympiacos was nervous, and the atmosphere was very tense. Madrid maintained a commendable attitude and responded as a united team with points from Maledon, Hezonja, Feliz, and Deck. A three-pointer by the Croatian tied the game at 80 in the 38th minute. But for two minutes, Madrid was not allowed to compete on equal terms. A reversal of a called out-of-bounds call led to a flurry of Madrid fouls that sent the Greeks to the free-throw line. Despite all that and trailing by 8 points with 42 seconds left, the team fought until the very last possession, and Feliz even had a three-pointer to tie the game with 11 seconds remaining. The point guard’s stellar performance went unrewarded with that shot, and Olympiacos was perfect on the 10 free throws they took in 1 minute and 39 seconds (92-85, min. 40).

Olympiacos vs. Real Madrid Statistics