Real Madrid defeated La Laguna Tenerife away in the second game of the quarterfinal playoff of the League. With this victory, Scariolo‘s team tied the series at 1-1, forcing a third and decisive game to be played on Saturday at the Movistar Arena (6:00 pm). After a closely contested first half, our team secured the win with an outstanding third quarter. Hezonja, Maledonand Yurtseven were the standout performers in a game where the madridistas set a new scoring record in a playoff match.
The game started at a very high pace. Hezonja led our team’s scoring (10 points), while Doornekamp (8) carried the offensive load for the home team (15-14; min. 7). The constant exchange of baskets resulted in maximum parity on the scoreboard. However, Alderete, with a three-pointer, gave his team the lead heading into the second quarter (24-21).
Real Madrid breaks the deadlock
La Laguna Tenerife managed to extend their lead to +5, but Yurtseven and Maledon stepped up to turn the score around (26-28; min. 13). Lyles contributed 6 points to counter the efforts of Jaime Fernández, Van Beck, and Mills, preventing the home team from pulling away again (34-34). Madrid managed to break the tie through Hezonja and Deck (7 points), establishing a +6 lead (39-46; min. 18). Jaime Fernández led the home team’s attempt to rally, but 5 points from Llull in the final seconds ensured our team held the lead at halftime (45-51).
