By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Sergio Llull turned back the clock and scored 20 points, Mario Hezonja added 18 and Facundo Campazzo with nine points and nine assists ran the show in Berlin, as Real Madrid got the key 80-69 road win.
It was a very important game for the Spanish powerhouse, which closed the year with a 9-9 record and can still turn things around and enter the playoffs.
“It’s hard to win on the road, we did a great job on defense and we have great talent in offense, so we have to keep fighting to make it to the playoffs”, said Llull after the final buzzer in the game where he tied Kyle Hines for most EuroLeague games player ever.
On the other hand, ALBA with a 3-15 record remains last in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague standings and can’t hope for much in the rest of the season.
Playing without Gabriele Procida and Trevion Williams who left for Maccabi, ALBA was outgunned by Madrid.
David McCormack was the top scorer of the hosts with 15 points.
Real proving their quality
ALBA managed for the first five minutes to stay close to Madrid and even took an 11-10 lead after a shot by Male Delow.
However, Real Madrid changed gears and, with a 14-2 run, got a 24-13 lead. Dzanan Musa scored 10 points in the first period, which ended with the Spanish powerhouse up by 13 (28-15) after a three by Llull.
Madrid’s captain with 4/4 first-half threes and Huge Gonzalez with one more extended the lead to 17 points (38-21) with ALBA trimming the halftime difference to 11 points (45-34) having just 2/10 threes.
ALBA didn’t back down and managed to make it a seven-point game (55-48), still, Madrid was up by 10 at the end of the third period (61-51) and got things under control.
The hosts trimmed the lead to six (61-55) at the start of the last quarter, but Madrid once more pushed their advantage to 15 points (74-59) with Lull and Hezonja taking over the game.
Photo credit: EuroLeague