By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
Real Madrid took a massive step toward securing home-court advantage for the postseason on Tuesday night, dismantling a surging Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv 92-83 at a quiet Movistar Arena. The Round 33 victory not only extends Madrid’s home dominance but also secures a crucial head-to-head tiebreaker after sweeping the regular-season series against the Israeli side.
The win elevates Los Blancos to a 21-12 record in the 2025-26 EuroLeague Regular Season, marking their 12th consecutive victory on their home floor. Sergio Scariolo’s men have now transformed the Movistar Arena into a true fortress, boasting a staggering 16-1 record at home this season.
Mario Hezonja fueled the effort with a 15-point, 10-rebound double-double, extending his double-digit scoring streak to 13 games. Theo Maledon provided a spark with 13 points, leaving him just seven shy of the 1,000-point career milestone. However, Walter Tavares and Gabriel Deck both saw their double-digit Performance Index Rating streaks snapped at six and four games, respectively, after both settled at a PIR of nine.
Despite coming off the emotional high of a domestic Clasico win on Sunday, Madrid showed no signs of fatigue. They led wire-to-wire, fending off a Hapoel squad that arrived in the capital sitting third in the standings. While Hapoel kept the contest tight early on, the home side broke the game open late in the second quarter, establishing a double-digit cushion. Chris Jones netted a team-high 15 points for the visitors, while Elijah Bryant chipped in 13 points to extend his incredible streak of double-digit PIR games to 31.
Madrid opted to leave Izan Almansa, David Kramer, and Gabriele Procida out of the lineup. Meanwhile, Dimitris Itoudis’ squad was hampered by the absence of injured stars Tai Odiase, Tomer Ginat, and Tyler Ennis, while Oz Blayzer, Guy Palatin, Itay Segev, and Yiftach Ziv were left out of the active roster.
The stakes remain high as the double-game week concludes. Scariolo’s side will look to maintain its momentum this Thursday when it hosts Anadolu Efes. Hapoel, now forced to regroup quickly, travels to the Fernando Buesa Arena on Friday to face Kosner Baskonia as the race for a top-four finish nears its finish line.