Real Madrid started in the third quarter, put their game into a higher gear and got rid of Virtus de Bologna without too many problems (98-86). The defense, which had been very happy in the first half, leaving many options for the Bolognese team, became a little more serious, although not too serious in the continuation, and that was enough for them to win without problems. The final score could have been much larger for the whites, who were one basket away from one hundred points, but they relaxed in the last three minutes to concede a 0-10 partial that put a damper on the Italians’ numbers.
Despite the bad omens of the initial break, in which the players were left cold after a clock failure, both teams immediately picked up cruising speed, playing an entertaining first half, which pointed to a long score at the end of the game. . Defense was not the best virtue of either team in the first 20 minutes, which the public appreciated, without a doubt, but perhaps not so much the coaches.
The locker room instructions are a state secret, but it is enough to observe how the teams play to guess, more or less, what the coaches have asked of their pupils, so it could immediately be seen that Chus Mateo asked his players to use more the aerial potential of Edy Tavares, capable of sticking his head above the clouds, in attacking actions, so the Real Madrid players looked for their teammate with immediate effects. At Virtus, Luca Banchi’s motto was to give the ball to Tornike Shengelia, who seemed seeded.
Only when they tightened the screws on the Georgian player, midway through the third set, did the sources that gave life to Virtus dry up. Despite the elegance of Belinelli and the professional efficiency of Cordinier and Clyburn, the Italians could not follow the dynamic rhythm of Real Madrid, in tune from the beginning and with that acceleration at the opportune moment in which they showed their greatest cubicism.
The white team dominated the rebound, collected many balls in attack and gave a second, and even a third, chance to their bombers, who, successful in their outside shooting (15 of 35 triples), were able to use various versions of their game , because they also made their way under the basket. Rathan-Mayes and, above all, Hezonja, were inspired by the shot, and it is clear that when Real Madrid is at a good level, few teams can match them, and Virtus was no exception on the day they Sergio Llull reached 1,100 games with Real Madrid and was three points shy of the round figure of 4,000 in the Euroleague. He has many games left to reach and surpass it.
At the Buesa Arena, Baskonia fell, after a very close match, against Anadolu Efes (84-89). In the last play they had the option of reaching overtime, but the referees saw a foul in attack by Moneke, with just six seconds remaining, and the Turkish team sentenced from the free throw line.
