The two teams offered a scoring battle that will be forever remembered
Real Madrid, Maccabi made history in Round 21
Stats
3 Mins read
Regular Season
Round 21 of 34
Group Regular Season
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It is the most repeated game in European basketball history, and on Tuesday night it certainly didn't disappoint.
Real Madrid and Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv faced each other for the 73rd time and made sure no one forgot this one, delivering one of the most intense showdowns in Turkish Airlines EuroLeague history as both teams combined for 229 points, a new all-time record for a game with no overtimes.
Fortitudo Bologna and Zalgiris Kaunas had the previous record for over 20 years, as both teams combined for 224 points when Fortitudo beat Zalgiris 117-107 on January 22, 2004.
Tanoka Beard of Zalgiris Kaunas finished that game with a PIR of 63, still an all-time EuroLeague record. That same season, Fortitudo made it to the 2004 EuroLeague Championship Game and Zalgiris was one painful loss away from making it to the Final Four. Maccabi was on the winning side on both occasions.
There's more. Real and Maccabi combined for 120 points at halftime, and for 181 points after three quarters, shattering all previous records. The previous record for most points in a first half was shared by Ural Great Perm and LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne with 116 points (59-57) on January 30, 2002. Fortitudo and Zalgiris combined for 175 points (90-85) in that game in Bologna back in 2004.
There were several club records, of course. Maccabi made all of its 26 free throws, a new club record and the fourth-best mark in EuroLeague history. Real holds the record with 34 free throws made, none missed, against Ural Great on March 27, 2002. The Israeli side's 63 first-half points tie a club record and is the highest scoring mark before the break in any road game.
Facu Campazzo finished the game with a career-high PIR of 43, getting 31 points, 5 rebounds and 8 assists. He was the only player to miss a free throw in this game; in addition to Maccabi not missing any, Real went 24 of 25 from the foul line.
There were some unexpected facts in such a high-scoring game. Mario Hezonja had 25 points but saw his 30-game streak of hitting at least one three-pointer come to an end, going 0 for 4 from downtown. Walter Tavares did not shoot in this game, too. During his 257-game career, Tavares had not attempted a single field goal just four times before this game, but he'd always gone to the foul line at least twice. Not this time.
It was kind of ironic that arguably the most important play of the game was a defensive stop. With 27.5 seconds left and Real leading 114-113, Los Blancos' defense forced Maccabi to pick up a 24-second violation. Campazzo drew a foul, made free throws and after a timeout, Levi Randolph missed a three-point shot by a long distance.
Next, Real takes on Olympiacos Piraeus on Thursday, with both teams coming into this showdown on six-game winning streaks. If you take my recommendation, cancel all of your plans and get ready to watch one of the best games that basketball can offer in the world right now. You won't regret it.