By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Real Madrid turned last week’s victory into a streak after defeating Zalgiris Kaunas 93-90 on the road in Round 7 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague to improve to a 3-4 record in the competition.
Walter Tavares was the enchanted hero for Pablo Laso’s squad as he exited the game with a game-high performance with 22 points and 12 boards, while also registering a new career-high PIR with 34, leading Real’s comeback in the fourth period.
Zalgiris was down 24-32 after the first 10 minutes and managed to overcome the deficit to take the lead of the game for nearly two quarters, but Real’s comeback was enough for them to seal the victory in crunch time.
“I think it’s a good lesson. We have to be solid, not only offensively or defensively, but in every aspect because in the EuroLeague you face great teams. If you don’t play good defense or are suffering on rebounds, anything like that can give the other team a lot of opportunities. Our second half was very solid and shows us the way we have to continue to play and grow as a team”, said Pablo Laso after the game.
Facu Campazzo also finished with double-double figures, as he added 19 points and 10 assists for the Spanish team. Jaycee Carroll tapped 11 points and Sergio Llull added 10.
Thomas Walkup filled the statsheet with 18 points, 8 assists and 6 boards for Martin Schiller’s squad, leading all scorers of the team. Marius Grigonis posted 17 points, Augustine Rubit recorded 14, and Arturas Milaknis had 12. The hosts were cheered by some 230 spectators in their last game in front of the fans, as the Lithuanian government imposed a new three-week lockdown to the country, starting off Saturday.
The Lithuanian side suffered its second defeat of the season, falling to a 5-2 record.
Photo: EuroLeague