Madrid defeats Hiopos Lleida and extends its lead in the League

The leader of the League solidified its position further after defeating Hiopos Lleida at the Movistar Arena in matchday 22 of the League, and following Valencia Basket's away loss to La Laguna Tenerife. Scariolo's team now holds a four-win advantage over the second-place team, achieving their 20th victory in this competition and their eighth consecutive win. Okeke (14 points, 9 rebounds, and 20 PIR), Maledon (18 and 20), and Lyles (12, 11, and 19) led Madrid's collaborative gameplay, with seven players reaching double digits in PIR. Feliz, Deck, and Tavares rested today.

The madridistas struggled to find the basket in a very imprecise offensive start after an initial 6-0 in their favor. Hiopos Lleida capitalized on the five local turnovers with three three-pointers (two from Goloman), taking the lead in the first quarter. The entry of the second unit gave Scariolo's team greater offensive efficiency. Campazzo and Lyles (8 points between them) reduced the deficit to just one point by the end of the first 10 minutes (16-17).

Madrid takes off
As soon as the team increased its defensive aggression, the visitors began to struggle and commit turnovers. Our players took advantage by running and scoring fluidly. Campazzo took control and distributed play, with Llull finishing counterattacks and Procida providing the spectacle with two dunks. A 13-0 run at the start of the second quarter propelled the madridistas, who kept up the pace. Maledon (8 points) and Okeke (8 points and 5 rebounds by halftime) continued to extend the lead to a 31-9 run, finishing the half with a +21 in a stellar second quarter (47-26).

The pace of play increased in the third quarter with both teams exchanging baskets. Hiopos Lleida regained their offensive threat with good minutes from Sanz, Krutwing, and Goloman, against a Madrid team more focused on scoring than on defending. Okeke stayed sharp from the perimeter with his fourth three-pointer, while Almansa perfectly covered the absence of Tavares and Len, who was in foul trouble with four personal fouls. The youth player scored 9 flawless points and provided 3 assists in 12 minutes on the court. Procida, with a dunk and a three-pointer in two consecutive plays, restored the maximum lead for the home team (75-63, min.30).

Madrid showcases depth
Our team managed this cushion without any issues until the end, thanks to the intensity contributed by every player who stepped on the court. Lyles finished with a double-double (12 points and 11 rebounds), Okeke was one rebound shy (14 and 9), Maledon scored 18 points; Krämer, Almansa, and Procida also stood out. And even without Tavares, Madrid recorded 7 blocks (3 by Len, 2 by Maledon, 1 by Procida, and 1 by Garuba). A complete game for the team's second victory of the week (95-78, min.40).

Real Madrid-Hiopos Lleida statistics

 

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