Real Madrid began in the best possible way a key double day for its future in the Regular Phase of the Euroleague 2024-2025 and achieved its second obligatory away victory by beating the French Paris Basketball 85-96, a revelation of the competition against the that stopped their bad streak of three consecutive defeats.
The eleven-time European champion showed a good face against the Eurocup champion and until this defeat, leader alone, an honor that he now shares with the launched AS Monaco, precisely visiting on Thursday at the WiZink Center where Chus Mateo’s men will seek a victory more so that it leaves them in the best position at the end of the first round.
The Madrid team needed the victory to somewhat alleviate their situation in the top continental competition and they did so with a solid match and without those ups and downs that are weighing them down this year. In fact, except in the second quarter, they managed to stop one of the best attacks in this Euroleague, deprived of its star, a TJ Shorts who went down at the last minute.
In addition, he found the good work of the couple formed by Facundo Campazzo (19 points and 6 assists) and Walter Tavares (10 and 14 rebounds), well helped this time by a shorter rotation where four more players contributed double digits in scoring, with Mario Hezonja stood out (17) and good minutes from Dzanan Musa (12), an argument with which he neutralized Maodo Lo’s great night (30 points).
The German and another ‘little’ like Nadir Hifi (21 points) tried to alleviate the loss of TJ Shorts and they succeeded especially until halftime where they combined to make 30 of the 48 points for the locals. Then, only the world champion gave continuity against a Real Madrid that was more intense in its defense.
Thus, they only allowed 17 points in the first quarter where they were able to take the lead in a game that started dominated by Paris Basketball, but whose script changed with the entry of Campazzo and Hezonja on the court. The Argentine point guard put an end to the poor initial aim from the triple (0/5) and another of his and one more from the Croatian forward helped the eleven-time European champion sign a 2-13 partial to threaten to take off at the end of the first ten minutes (17-26).
ABALDE AND MUSA CONTRIBUTE
But in the second quarter the attacks prevailed over the defenses. The Madrid team continued, thanks to Tavares, to continue commanding the rebound, and the Campazzo-Hezonja duo continued to keep Chus Mateo’s team ahead, who stretched the score again with two triples by Sergio Llull and the offensive rebound. However, Thiago Splitter’s men responded with Hifi and Lo to remain close at half-time (48-52).
Thanks to Hayes and Lo, the Parisian team managed to turn the score around at the beginning of the third quarter, but this time Real Madrid showed concentration to respond with Alberto Abalde and, above all, with a very aggressive Musa in one of his specialties, penetrations.
Eight points in a row from the Bosnian, in need of a good performance in the Euroleague, gave the Madridistas breath again (58-65) against a Paris Basketball team that was somewhat hasty in its actions. That allowed the visitors to escape again in a promising way, but another irruption by Lo left the swords high for the final ten minutes (67-70).
The German point guard tied the match (70-70) with a three-pointer against a Real Madrid that was less successful offensively and also accused Tavares of the necessary rest. But this time he showed the fortitude that seems to have been lacking and the return of the Cape Verdean settled him down again. A triple by Llull and, after a few moments without baskets, a dunk by the center caused the Madrid team to go ahead for the final stretch (73-80). Hifi and Lo launched another local attack, but a great ‘2+1’ from Campazzo and a triple from Hezonja hurt a leader who ended up taking a knee.
TECHNICAL SHEET.
–RESULT: PARÍS BASKETBALL, 86 – REAL MADRID, 95 (48-52, at halftime).
–TEAMS.
PARIS BASKETBALL: Lo (30), Ward (7), Malcolm (11), Hayes (8) and Jantunen (-) –starting quintet– Hifi (21), Sy (5), Herrera (-), Cavaliere ( 3) and Krafter (-).
REAL MADRID: Feliz (6), Musa (12), Deck (11), Ndiaye (2) and Tavares (10) –initial quintet– Llull (9), Campazzo (19), Abalde (10), Hezonja ( 17), Garuba (-) and González (-).
–PARTIALS: 17-26, 31-26, 19-18 and 18-26.
–REFEREES: Pukl, Jovcic and Panther. They eliminated Krafter and Garuba due to fouls.
–PAVILLION: Adidas Arena.