By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
What a game at the Movistar Arena! Real Madrid welcomed Zalgiris, and the battle went down to the wire.
The visitors even had a chance to take the lead in the closing seconds, but the officials called an offensive foul on Maodo Lo. Facu Campazzo and Trey Lyles then pushed the hosts ahead, and despite two late three-pointers from Sylvain Francisco, Madrid held on for a 100–99 victory.
In the end, Theo Maledon stood out with 25 points and five assists, finishing with a PIR of 34, while Facundo Campazzo added 20 points and four assists. Trey Lyles contributed 21 points and five rebounds, and Walter Tavares recorded a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
For Zalgiris, Sylvain Francisco’s 33-point, 11-assist double-double wasn’t enough. Azoulas Tubelis added 19 points, Dustin Šleva 13, Moses Wright 11, and Ignas Brazdeikis chipped in 10.
Real Madrid opened with an 18–8 burst, but Zalgiris quickly settled and later erased a 28–16 deficit early in the second quarter. The hosts stayed in front until midway through the third, when Zalgiris briefly took control, only for Madrid to respond and enter the fourth tied at 62–62.
The final period brought the expected tension. Trey Lyles kept Madrid steady, while Sylvain Francisco powered the visitors’ offense. Maledon and Campazzo then guided Scariolo’s team to an 89–81 lead with under two and a half minutes remaining.
Zalgiris answered out of a timeout, knocking down threes through Šleva, Ulanovas, and Francisco to trim the gap to 90–91. Maledon replied with a three-point play—only for Ulanovas to match it moments later. Lyles missed on the next possession, but Madrid regained control after the officials called an offensive foul on Maodo Lo followed by a technical.
Campazzo and Lyles pushed Real Madrid ahead from the free-throw line, while Francisco’s two last-gasp threes weren’t enough. Brazdeikis launched a Hail Mary attempt from his own half at the buzzer, but couldn’t hit the target, and Real Madrid prevailed.