Real Madrid head coach Pedro Martínez pointed to a scoring burst from Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot and a defensive improvement in the second half as key factors in his team’s 99-113 victory against Maccabi Tel Aviv in the EuroLeague.
A Slow Start in Belgrado Casts Doubts Before the Break
The visiting side found themselves trailing by as many as 13 points during a shaky opening quarter inside the Aleksandar Nikolic Hall in Belgrado, where the arena hosted the fixture behind closed doors with only a few hundred guests in attendance. Maccabi capitalized on early defensive lapses to put up 30 points in the first period, shooting at a high clip behind Daniel Theis and Yam Madar. Martínez admitted his squad was completely out of sorts early on, noting that the hosts dictated terms on both ends of the court before Real Madrid began to steady their footing through Facundo Campazzo and Andrés Feliz. Early on, the Spanish side sought out Walter Tavares to exploit a mismatch against Daniel Theis while relying on offensive rebounding to stay afloat. For Maccabi, Bonzie Colson contributed 22 points, Madar added 18, and Jimmy Clark finished with 17.
💪 @waltertavares22 pic.twitter.com/rMnZHsooNu
Halftime Adjustments Spark the Turnaround
Leading 52-51 at the intermission, Real Madrid emerged from the locker room with a much sharper defensive intensity. Martínez highlighted the team’s improved consistency in one-on-one and two-on-two defensive coverages during the second half as the bedrock of their recovery. That defensive clampdown allowed the visitors to control the glass and transition fluidly into their perimeter offense, outscoring Maccabi 30-21 in a decisive third quarter to seize control at 73-81.
Perimeter Shooting Sets a New Club Record
The Spanish powerhouse fueled their offensive explosion from beyond the arc, converting 21 of 40 three-point attempts for a blistering 52.5% success rate. According to club records detailed by El País, that stellar outside shooting established a new franchise record for triples made in a single EuroLeague game, eclipsing their recent domestic mark of 20 against Bilbao Basket in the ACB. Campazzo led the charge with 21 points and orchestrating duties, while Feliz added 18 points, and both Alberto Abalde and Luwawu-Cabarrot chipped in 15 points apiece. In the closing stretches, Pedro Martínez shifted to a smaller lineup featuring Jantunen at the center position, while an explosive final quarter yielded 32 points for the visitors. Campazzo paced the winners with 28 index rating credits, accompanied by Feliz with 19 and Tavares with 18.
Luwawu-Cabarrot Ignites the Spark
When asked to pinpoint the exact turning point of the fixture, Martínez singled out the moment the French wing caught fire on the offensive end. Quizás el momento clave fue cuando Luwawu-Cabarrot empezó a anotar,
Martínez told reporters in his post-match press conference, explaining that finding a hot hand in Luwawu-Cabarrot was very important for the team. Walter Tavares also anchored the paint on both ends, altering shots and limiting second-chance opportunities to keep Maccabi at bay down the stretch.
Real Madrid Wins Four Straight as Maccabi Struggles
The 99-113 victory completes a remarkable turnaround for Real Madrid in Europe’s premier club competition, pushing their record to four consecutive wins after dropping their opening three fixtures on the road. Meanwhile, Maccabi dropped to a 2-4 record in the standings as they play through a challenging stretch without injured guard Lundberg, who faces an absence of six to eight weeks due to a partial quadriceps tendon tear. Real Madrid’s roster continues to manage long-term absences from Usman Garuba and Gabi Deck. Elsewhere in the competition, Barcelona defeated Olimpia Milano 81-89 following a previous loss to Olympiacos, Baskonia fell 85-79 to Panathinaikos in Athens for their third straight defeat under returning coach Perasovic, and Valencia is set to visit Paris Basketball this Friday at 20:45 on Movistar.
⏸️ Fin del primer cuarto.@MaccabiTLVBC 30 – 23 @RMBaloncesto pic.twitter.com/tn1s2lEefK
🫣 @facucampazzo ↩️ Luwawu-Cabarrot 💪 pic.twitter.com/JofPF0XHWP
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