The leader loses at home

The league leaders were unable to secure a new victory in their last game before facing the EuroLeague Final Four semifinals in Athens in five days (Friday, 8:00 pm CEST; Movistar Plus+). After a closely contested match, our team faltered in the final moments due to the visitors' greater accuracy. At halftime, a heartfelt tribute was held for one of Real Madrid's greatest legends: Clifford Luyk.

Our team gradually adapted to a game that began with a first quarter dominated by defenses. Madrid was sharper defensively, focused on securing rebounds with Hezonja, Okeke, and Garuba (Lyles was not available today). It was the latter two who led the offense with 5 points each until the second unit took over. Maledon and Feliz stepped up against a Joventut team that leveled the rebounding battle (20-15, min. 10).

Madrid defends the lead
A 7-2 run, with scoring contributions from Almansa and Procida, gave Madrid a 10-point lead in the 12th minute. However, in the following minutes, there was no consistency, and Penya gained ground through greater defensive intensity and strong interior presence, now with Ruzic and Birgander. Despite the verdinegra pressure, the leaders did not allow the comeback to be completed, and with the game tied on multiple occasions, Krämer, Okeke, and Hezonja stepped up to secure the halftime lead (40-38).

With Penya focused on defense, Madrid's offense was inconsistent, seeking three-pointers without much success. When attacking the basket, their percentages improved significantly. The visitors managed to take the lead several times in the third quarter, although Llull and Hezonja tried to counter Hakanson's streak and Ruzic's solid performance. With the score at 55-56, Scariolo's team made a push in the final two minutes of the third quarter, increasing defensive intensity, capitalizing on fast breaks, and breaking down the defense with drives from Feliz and Maledon (62-59, min. 30).

Joventut takes the win
The game picked up pace in the final quarter. Procida delivered the play of the morning with a one-handed dunk off an alley-oop from Maledon, keeping Madrid with a slight advantage. They had the chance to extend it on the next play but failed, and Penya responded with a triple from Ricky Rubio and a 3+1 from Hunt for a 0-7 run that turned the score around. This was a turning point. It boosted Joventut, who sealed the victory at the Palacio (81-89, min. 40).

Real Madrid-Joventut Statistics