By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Real Madrid welcomed back Anthony Randolph in EuroLeague and bounced back to wins after the loss in the Clasico by routing ALBA Berlin 87 – 64 at home. The Blancos had a well-balanced and efficient game on both ends despite missing head coach Pablo Laso and guard Thomas Heurtel who were both tested positive for coronavirus.
“I still have a long way to go. It has been a long road to recovery, but thanks to my coaches, the teammates and everybody for supporting me and keeping the faith in me,” Randolph said. He finished with 13 points in his first EuroLeague match after suffering a season-ending injury in December 2021.
Edy Tavares was near-unstoppable with 17 points on 8-8 shots, along with seven rebounds while Rudy Fernandez scored 14 on 4-7 triples.
ALBA had to cope with the major absence of forward Luke Sikma, a player around whom the offensive game of the German team is built. Johannes Thiemann (11 points) and Louis Olinde (10 points) scored in double figures from the Albatrosses that shot with a poor 30.6 percent on 2-pointers.
In the meantime, Real was firing on all cylinders while dominating the boards 41 – 28. The hosts closed halftime up 43 – 26 and remained in control for the rest of the game, extending their lead well beyond 20 points in the fourth period.
“I want to congratulate Real Madrid,” ALBA coach Israel Gonzalez said. “They played a very good game. It was a special game for them without Laso. So I think they had a little extra motivation or were alerted. They deserved this win. We couldn’t play on offense like we would like to because their defense was very good. They are very big and we had a lot of problems making two-point shots. We had to learn, improve and know when we have to attack, when we have to pass, when we have to dribble, especially against a good defense like tonight. On defense, I am not disappointed. Of course, there are things that we can do better but generally speaking, I am not disappointed with the team’s energy in the circumstances that we are in right now. I think the team worked, but sometimes, against teams like Real Madrid, it is not enough.”
A trickier match than what it looked like
Real Madrid assistant Chuch Mateo, who served as head coach in light of Pablo Laso’s absence, pointed at how careful his players were to not underestimate their opponents.
“It was a very dangerous game,” Mateo said. “We were missing some important players. They did it, but they are loyal to a playing style which is difficult unless you understand it from the very beginning of the game. They are a team that plays fast and uses short possessions, sometimes shooting right away. And it is true that if you understand that playing style from the beginning, and I think we did, you have fewer problems. But even with that, due to their playing time and personality, which it’s kept for some seasons already, when we had a 20-point lead, we were not quiet because we knew they could come back. It is a team that can score quickly and easily, with good three-point shooters, that rebounds well because there are a lot of long rebounds after three-point shots. Once we understood that, I think we played great defense, especially on half-court offense. We managed to limit them to 64 points, which is good, with 30% two-point shooting. I am particularly very happy because everyone contributed to play as a team, with a good collective effort but also good individual performances. Everybody understood what we wanted and offered good things, so I am very happy to keep WiZink Center undefeated in the EuroLeague.”
Photo: EuroLeague Basketball