Real Madrid gets up looking for Deck
Mateo’s men topple Valencia Basket at the WiZink Center and regain leadership pace in the Euroleague
MADRID, 9 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Real Madrid beat Valencia Basket (95-91) this Thursday on matchday 28 of the Euroleague held at the WiZink Center, a victory under white control despite the threats of the ‘taronja’ team until the end, to recover the path of the victory and continue fighting for the first position.
Chus Mateo’s team signed 19-9 to stay one win behind the leader Olympiacos but with one game less, while Alex Mumbrú’s men moved away from the ‘Top 8’ with their fourth straight loss. Gabi Deck (18 points, 7 rebounds and a PIR of 26) was the best and the solution for a tight finish due to the arrival of Chris Jones (19 points).
After seeing their fort stormed two days before against Cazoo Baskonia, Real Madrid did not speculate from the start and signed a good first half, better than a gusty Valencia. Mateo’s men came to command 12 points (47-35) near the break, but Harper and Jones woke up to alleviate the ‘taronja’ disadvantage for the second half.
Cornelie, with 7 points and a PIR of 11, was the best of the locals in the first quarter, while Valencia shared more of the lead (24-20). The defenses were yet to appear and Madrid got to it before, escaping with Rudy Fernández’s three-pointers. Tavares also marked territory against a Rivero who also played inside for the visitors when the demand rose.
Mumbrú’s men extended that step forward by turning the score around with Jones and López-Arostegui at the start of the second half, but Real Madrid returned to the charge with the intensity under Deck’s banner. An unsportsmanlike play by Dubljevic was the turning point that returned the lead to the Whites heading into the last quarter (71-65).
The ‘taronja’ team, with good comebacks this season but also defeats on the shore, launched their ordeal with Jones, but the white team’s pulse did not tremble. Mateo’s men turned the page on the defeat against Baskonia with a vital Deck and a Musa who scored his only triple of the game at a good time.
–RESULT: REAL MADRID, 95 – VALENCIA BASKETBALL, 91. (49-40, at halftime).
Real Madrid: Williams-Goss (8), Hezonja (9), Musa (8), Cornelie (11) and Tavares (14) — the starting quintet — Poirier (11), Deck (18), Hanga (3), Sergio Rodriguez (5), Rudy Fernandez (8).
VALENCY BASKETBALL: Jones (19), Radebaugh (7), Lopez-Arostegui (6), Webb III (6) and Dubljevic (10) — starting quintet–; Harper (9), Claver (2), Port (3), Prepelic (4), Rivero (17), Evans (8).
–REFEREES: Difallah, Balak and Giovannetti. No deleted.
–PAVILION: WiZink Center.
