77-72: Real Madrid starts out the second round of the Top 16 with a victory

Real Madrid began the 
second round of the Top 16 with a hard-fought win against a combative Alba Berlin, the seventh victory in this phase and the twelfth at the Palacio de los Deportes, which continues to be unassailable this season. The victory, marked by the awakening of the white squad for a spectacular last quarter where they scored 29 points, keeps Real Madrid tied for first in group E, with a standing of 7-1, which moves them closer to the playoffs. Four local players scored more than 10 points, led by Carroll (16), Rudy (14), Mirotic (12, seven rebounds and a 21 performance), and Reyes (11 points and a performance of 17).The Euroleague came back to the Palacio three weeks after the victory over CSKA. In spite of the lower standing of their rival, Real Madrid was not over-confident and established a strong defensive pace from the beginning that put the screws on the German team. A score of 5-0 at 3 minutes went to 10-2 at 4 minutes, the maximum spread in the first quarter. With a patient attack, looking to establish their superiority under the basket, Real Madrid soon took over the helm of the game with excellent play by Mirotic, who was unstoppable and carried through almost all of the white squad’s actions (10 points), and with a great job by Suárez under the hoop. Only the visitors’ shot from 6.75 (66%) prevented Real Madrid from establishing a greater lead (20-14, min. 10).

Miralles and Schaffartzik came in and provoked a timid reaction from the Berlin team, which came within three points of their opponents after a three-pointer by the German point guard (22-19, min. 13). But the local team was comfortable out on the floor, deploying their typical fast and happy game to which everyone made a contribution. When this happens, it’s hard to follow them. Two three-pointers by Carroll were the battering ram of a run of 10-1 in the next five minutes to put the score at 32-20 at 18 min. 

However, lowered intensity in the back court led to the loss of the defensive rebound, allowing their rivals up to nine offensive rebuffs. Thompson, Byars, and above all Idbihi took advantage of this to do Real Madrid a lot of damage, whose attack was suddenly stymied, and they imposed a 0-14 scoring streak over the end of the second quarter and the beginning of the third. A total of six minutes without a basket, something completely unusual for this team, which breathed life into the Germans’ game as the visitors pulled ahead (34-37, min. 23). On fire from this scoring streak, Alba Berlin continued racking up points three by three to achieve their biggest lead (+4 at 25 minutes). The clash entered into a period without anyone clearly in control, as both teams alternated baskets. Rudy, with an alley oop, Suárez, and Hettsheimer's hook re-established the productivity of the white squad’s attack, leaving everything for the final act after two good plays by Thompson and Byars (48-50, min. 30).

Real Madrid was not willing to lose its unbeaten record on their home court and gave it their all in the last quarter. Encouraged by the support from the fans at the Palacio, they made their maximum defensive effort and were soon to be rewarded for their aggressiveness in the back court. They put the brakes on their strengthened rival with a great job by Hettsheimer and Reyes. Meanwhile, their attack came definitively alive. The shots began to sail through the hoop, and the panorama changed radically. With Sergio Rodríguez in the lead, Real Madrid improved and Rudy’s hands and Carroll’s demolition job with another great performance (10 points, including two three-pointers) put their team up by 10 points at the 36 minute mark. In six minutes they scored more than in the three preceding quarters. When the clash seemed to be nearly decided, Alba Berlin tried desperately to fire off their last shots. Thompson and Wood, the best of the Berlin team, brought Obradovic’s men to within just three points (75-72) with 34 seconds left to play. But it was only a mirage, because Rudy tied up the seventh Real Madrid victory in the Top 16 with two free throws (77-72, min. 40).