REPORT | 11/01/2015
The Minorcan decided the game with three seconds to go with a two-pointer and a follow-up free throw.- Liga Endesa
- Matchay 16
- Sun, 11 Jan
75
74With Campazzo pulling the strings for a second straight gameday, Real Madrid went out on the court looking to assert their tempo on the game, something they struggled to do because of the Vitoria outfit's stronger defence and their low conversion percentage. It was midway through the first quarter when Reyes, with four points in a row, tried to get his team-mates moving (8-4). And although he breathed some life into them, the away side, in tune from the three-point line, made the most of the Madrid players' mistakes to catch up on a scoreboard that had been dominated by the Whites. A Bertans three-pointer made that possible. The teams headed into the second quarter 18-17.
Three-pointer accuracy
Things did not improve by the beginning of the second quarter. The Vitoria side, with Iverson scoring on the paint and San Emeterio causing all kinds of damage from the three-point line, made life difficult for the Whites. Despite Nocioni's performance, who got the team's three-point percentage back on track, and Mejri, who put in a great few minutes, the visitors took an 11-point lead on the scoreboard on two occasions during the quarter (30-41 and 32-43). At the half-time break, the score read 37-45.
Nocioni, Reyes and Llull finished the game with double digits.
With an improvement needed in defence and offence, Madrid headed into an intense second half in which Llull gave the team what they had been missing. The Minorcan racked up 5 points on the bounce to bring his team to 50-55 in the 24th minute and, along with Reyes and Mejri, was able to keep his side in the game.
Even so, Baskonia, who continued to cause damage, kept the score in their favour. A Carroll three-pointer and three Nocioni free throws brought Madrid closer (57-60, min. 29). But San Emeterio ended the third quarter by scoring a three-pointer of his own (57-63).
Llull, Llull, Llull
Carroll, who looked at ease again with his three-pointers, started the final quarter with a three-pointer (60-63, min. 32). The Whites, playing more intensely in defence and looking more dominate with their rebounds during the first few minutes, hounded a Baskonia side that began to seek out Bertans to hold onto their lead. Despite that, and because of the low-scoring nature of the quarter, Madrid drew level thanks to Reyes, who popped up with four points in a row, and Llull, who pulled a basket from up his sleeve (72-72 min. 38).
A Baskonia turnover allowed Madrid to view a win as a distinct possibility, but the Whites then committed the same mistake. Just when the game looked over, the away team made another mistake and, now with the ball in the Whites' possession, Llull made the most of the opportunity to score a basket plus an additional free throw, which with just three seconds to go until the buzzer proved decisive.
REAL MADRID 75 (17+20+20+18): Campazzo (2), Rivers (2), Rudy Fernández (7), Reyes (12) and Ayón (5) -starting five--; Rodríguez (5), Llull (17), Carroll (6), Nocioni (13), Mejri (6) and Bourousis (-).
LABORAL KUTXA 74 (18+27+18+11): James (1), Causeur (12), Shengelia (8), Bertans (10) and Begic (8) -starting five--; Adams (-), Iverson (10), San Emeterio (12), Tillie (11) and Hansbrough (2).
