Cazoo Baskonia confirmed its strong form this Sunday with a hard-fought victory over Real Madrid, a game that finished 88-95. The win kept Baskonia level on top of the Endesa League standings, sharing first place with Real Madrid and Barcelona while extending an impressive run to fourteen wins in their last fifteen games, six of them consecutively.
In a clash of two powerhouses in Spanish basketball, the team that kept its composure at the crucial moments managed to seize control. Real Madrid, visibly tense, saw Baskonia take advantage and seal the result after a tense stretch that capped off a remarkable stretch where Real Madrid had lost just one of their previous fifteen matches.
Real Madrid had the better of the opening period. Their interior game dictated the pace early on, with Walter Tavares and Gabriel Deck imposing themselves under the rim. The Cape Verdean center used his height to command the paint, while Baskonia struggled to find rhythm from the perimeter and had trouble finishing around the basket.
As the game progressed, Madrid built a lead by moving the ball well and executing their plan with more clarity. Coach Joan Peñarroya called a timeout after a fast break that produced a dunk for Deck, hoping to steady his squad after a 15-7 deficit.
After the break, Tavares continued to dominate, and Baskonia faced a tough task to breach Madrid’s interior defense. The visitors went 1-for-6 from beyond the arc in the first half, while Madrid capitalized with good shooting and rebounding. By the end of the first half the advantage stood at a dozen points, with the tally at 27-15 at the timeout.
The second act opened with Baskonia showing signs of life led by Vanja Marinkovic, who connected on a sequence of plays and trimmed the margin to seven. Madrid answered immediately through leadership from Rudy Fernández, Fabien Causeur, and Vincent Poirier, who produced an 11-4 burst to reclaim control.
The score moved from 29-22 to 40-26 as Baskonia continued to persevere without a hot outside shot, staying competitive and waiting for their perimeter game to click. They kept faith with their defense and gradually forced Madrid into tougher looks, narrowing the gap to six points at halftime with a 45-39 scoreline.
Early in the third period, Sander Raieste and Max Heidegger sparked a brief surge that put Baskonia ahead by one, prompting calls from the Madrid bench to reset. Dzanan Musa answered with a quick dunk and a block on the other end, while Markus Howard woke the room with a five-point sequence and a timely outside shot that leveled the score once more.
Madrid continued to struggle offensively at times, and Baskonia benefited from several turnovers that allowed them to push ahead. Howard carried Baskonia in the middle stages, turning a deficit into a lead by the 26th minute, with the score showing 53-59 in favor of Baskonia. Real Madrid, not ready to concede, responded with intensity, and the game remained tightly contested into the final stretch.
Hanga and Deck delivered the early baskets for Madrid, and Rudy Fernández kept the contest open with timely triples that kept the door ajar. The clash intensified as the minutes ticked down, with neither side giving an inch and the crowd at the WiZInk Center in Madrid treated to a high-stakes battle until the late moments.
With the match nearing its end, the tone grew heated as both teams fought to tilt the scale. Madrid found a late rhythm but Baskonia held firm, and Rokas Giedraitis produced a late burst of five points to stretch Baskonia’s advantage and secure the club’s fourth win of the season over Madrid. The result left the league standings unsettled at the top, as both teams shared the apex with Barça on a crowded leaderboard.
Data sheet:
88 – Real Madrid: Hanga, Musa, Deck, Yabusele, Tavares, Poirier, Abalde, Sergio Rodríguez, Causeur, Hezonja, Rudy Fernández. Each contributed in varying roles as the game unfolded.
95 – Cazoo Baskonia: Heidegger, Howard, Raieste, Kotsar, Enoch, Thompson, Marinkovic, Giedraitis, Hommes, Kurucs, Costello. A balanced effort from the rotation helped seal the win.
Officials: Antonio Conde, Carlos Cortés and Andrés Fernández. The game featured physical play and several notable moments that shaped the outcome.
Event: The contest, the 23rd round of the Endesa League, attracted a crowd of 7,857 at the WiZInk Center in Madrid.