By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
2017 EuroLeague MVP Sergio Llull was already sidelined. A tearful Ognjen Kuzmic left in a wheelchair near the mid of the second period. Top scorer Anthony Randolph (16 points) also sustained a game-ending shoulder injury four minutes into the second half.
Yet despite all these possibly unbearable problems, Real Madrid defeated CSKA Moscow 82 – 69 to remain perfect in the EuroLeague regular season and force the “Army Men” to their first loss.
Team effort: Many players registered their names in the script that described the victory of the “Blancos”.
Luka Doncic contributed heavily and registered a game-high 21 in PIR (14 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals) almost effortlessly, Randolph managed to lead all scorers (16 points) despite leaving the game early, Facu Campazzo was a “devil” on both ends (9 points) and Jonas Maciulis brought some big-time shooting down the stretch (6 points).
Underperformance: This was quite possibly one of the worst offensive games of CSKA Moscow in its recent EuroLeague history. The 2016 champions finished with a horrid assist/turnover ratio (5/17) and although they dominated the boards (41 – 31) they couldn’t connect to the basket, finishing with 17/45 2-pointers (37.8%) and 5/18 3s (5/18).
Will Clyburn had 15 points plus 9 rebounds while Cory Higgins scored 11. In his return to “Wiznick Center” as an opponent, Sergio Rodriguez struggled, finishing with 8 points, but 0 assists and 3 turnovers.