By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Fabien Causeur scored 20 points and Real Madrid got a headstart into their EuroLeague playoffs series against Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv with an 84-74 victory at home to take the 1-0 lead.
Causeur shot four-of-six from the three-point line to power the efforts of Real that survived a physical fight against red-hot Maccabi.
Guerschon Yabusele tapped 15 points, Rudy Fernandez added 12 points, while Adam Hanga and Nigel Williams-Goss each posted 11 points for the hosts.
“I saw my team very concentrated the whole game, and that is something that we were talking about before the game”, said coach Pablo Laso. “That feeling that you can play good, you can play bad, but you are focused for 40 minutes. That is something that we showed today”.
Real indeed remained focused to lead the entire second half en route to victory. “I am happy because, in the end, it is a team’s thing. I am very happy for Fabien [Causeur], for sure, very happy for the guys who played well. But this one is finished. We have to think about the next one”.
Scottie Wilbekin paced Maccabi’s efforts with 20 points and Roman Sorkin added 12 points and five rebounds. The Israeli side put up a fight in the first half but never managed to recover the deficit in the second, allowing Real to protect its home court in the series opener. James Nunnally followed with 11 points for Maccabi and Jalen Reynolds scored 10.
Game 2 of the series takes place Friday, April 22 20:45 CET in Madrid.
Photo credit: EuroLeague