By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
ATHENS — Real Madrid secured its place in the EuroLeague championship game on Friday night with a high-scoring victory over Spanish rivals Valencia at the Telekom Center Athens, closing out the semifinal schedule at the EuroLeague Final Four Athens, presented by Etihad.
Leading the charge for Los Blancos was forward Mario Hezonja, who exploded for a game-high 25 points. During his postgame interview, he emphasized that postseason success requires more than just high-scoring numbers.
“This is what it takes. Obviously, offensive rhythm is there, but it’s the small details,” he said. “Just believe. Just be there for the team.”
The 31-year-old forward also praised the tactical brilliance and managerial style of head coach Sergio Scariolo for guiding the roster through a turbulent year and successfully integrating players toward a championship standard.
“The props go to coach Scariolo, because if anybody can adapt like this, it’s him. Trust me, in September, we were all looking at each other, ‘What am I doing?’, ‘What are you doing?’ on the sidelines. I think this guy really comes with a pedigree of a serious coach. He has history behind him. He’s really letting us tell him what is really happening in the game, so he can adjust even better,” Hezonja explained.
The semifinal instantly rewrote European basketball history as Real Madrid and Valencia combined for 118 points in the first half alone. The offensive explosion shattered the previous EuroLeague record for the highest combined score ever recorded in a single half of a Final Four game.
Despite the victory to extend the 15th Final Four appearance for the 11-time champions, significant roster adjustments and physical tolls continue to cloud the frontline.
The coaching staff elected to make David Kramer a healthy scratch for the semifinal matchup, while the team continues to cope with the absence of Alex Len and dominant starting center Walter Tavares, who leads the EuroLeague this season with 1.8 blocks per game. Suffering yet another severe blow during the contest, Usman Garuba was forced to make an early exit.
The physical toll on the team’s frontcourt rotation was heavy on the minds of the players after the final buzzer, with Hezonja noting the troubling trend by stating, “Another scary injury of another center.”
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