The visitors almost blew a big lead after being in control throughout a rugged contest
Real Madrid held on for a valuable road win at Crvena Zvezda
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3 Mins read
Regular Season
Round 32 of 34
Group Regular Season
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Real Madrid boosted its hopes of booking a spot in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague postseason with a hard-fought 72-78 win at Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade, after the home side’s valiant late fightback fell short in a dramatic finish.
Having raced into an early 0-14 lead, Real stayed well ahead until the last few minutes, when Zvezda closed the gap to 72-74 with 46 seconds left on the clock and threw their raucous 20,000 home crowd into a complete frenzy.
The hosts were unable to turn the contest on its head, however, as Real kept its nerve from the foul line and ground out a much-needed win in the battle to stay in contention for a potential top-six finish.
The result left both teams at 18-14 among a pack of five outfits with an identical record in what is shaping up to be a most dramatic climax to the regular season. With 11th-placed Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade and EA7 Emporio Armani Milan in 12th lurking at 16-16, both sides need one win from the remaining two games to make sure of keeping their respective campaigns alive.
Big man Walter Tavares was named player of the game in a rugged and physical contest as he racked up 14 points and 10 boards, having taken full advantage of the injured Joel Bolomboy’s absence as Zvezda’s center is sidelined with a foot injury.
Tavares acknowledged that Real was ultimately given a stern test of its credentials in a fervent atmosphere, as Zvezda’s relentless fans helped the hosts launch the late onslaught.
“They have great fans and it’s tough to play here but we did what we had to do to win the game,” Tavares said in his postgame comments. “We led by 15 or more but they came back, and it’s normal because they were at home.”
Head coach Chus Mateo added: “This is why basketball is so beautiful. We were in control throughout the game but it’s not easy to last the course in this kind of environment and hence it’s a very good win on a very tough court.”
Zvezda was undone by awful shooting from all over, hitting 17 of 36 from inside and 8 of 38 from downtown, nullifying a staggering 44 boards, including 20 on offense. However, coach Ioannis Sfairopoulos had nothing but praise for his players, who never gave up and nearly completed what would have been a stunning comeback.
“We fought really hard and I can only say good things about my players for their effort,” the Greek tactician said. “We missed so many open shots and layups but it was the burning desire to win the game that made us lose our focus. The fightback was exceptional though and I want to congratulate my team.”
In the final two rounds, Zvezda is at home to Anadolu EFes Istanbul before visiting defending champs Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens, while Real entertains Paris Basketball and then closes out the regular season at Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade.