By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Neither Real Madrid nor Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz have a good start in the season. However, against his old love, coach Pablo Lasso’s players managed to get a hard-fought 76-72 win, their second in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, while Madrid is down to 1-2.
Markus Howard with 15 points and Chima Moneke with 14 made things happen for the winning side while Real Madrid didn’t seem to have enough firepower.
The “Whites” finished the game with 8/33 threes, they got 17 points by Dzanan Musa but on 6/16 FG, Hezonja had 13 on 5/14 FG, and Edy Tavares with 14 points on 7/9 FG was really efficient.
He was not enough, however, and in the end, Madrid missed the two biggest shots of the game. As Moneke put it: “I believe in myself, I believe in the team. Good things happen when I am in the game”.
A real thriller
The first quarter was close with Madrid up by two (18-16) after 10 minutes of action and nothing changed until halftime with Baskonia being up by one point (36-35).
Real Madrid managed to finish the third period up by four (52-48) by keeping Baskonia to 12 points in 10 minutes of action, but the game was far from over.
The two teams entered the last two minutes tied at 70 after a made three by Mario Hezonja. However, while Markus Howard and Khalifa Diop made two crucial shots, Sergio Llull and Dzanan Musa missed, giving Baskonia a 74-70 lead.
With 10 seconds left, Tavares made it a two-point game (74-72) but it was too late. Chima Moneke was fouled, made two free throws and the game was over.
Photo credit: EuroLeague