Real Madrid Surges to a Narrow Win Over Baskonia in a Turbulent Euroleague Opener
Real Madrid toppled Baskonia in a tense finish at the Buesa Arena, with Facundo Campazzo’s late basket sealing a 77-79 victory in a game that swung wildly in the final minutes. Markus Howard’s early accuracy briefly brightened Baskonia’s hopes, but Madrid’s persistence won the day in a match that carried the weight of a season opener. Source attribution: Euroleague coverage.
What unfolded was a brutally physical contest. The defending champions, wearing white, fought through the absence of Edy Tavares and Gaby Deck but found resilience in their interior pairing of Vincent Poirier and Guerschon Yabusele as the catalysts behind a sharp display by their outside shooters. Source attribution: Euroleague coverage.
Facundo Campazzo, though unable to produce a prolific scoring night, contributed a crucial basket late in the game as Madrid closed it out. The Argentinians’ floor leadership kept Madrid aligned during the decisive stretch. Source attribution: Euroleague coverage.
On the Basque side, Chima Moneke and Matt Costello carried much of the load inside, with Tadas Sedekerskis posting 17 rating credits and Nico Mannion showing improvement over earlier showings. Baskonia appeared at their best when they pressured Madrid in the painted area, then shifted to multiple outside looks as the game evolved. Source attribution: Euroleague coverage.
The opening moments saw Madrid flood the scoreboard with a 0-6 run, thanks to baskets from Dzanan Musa and Guerschon Yabusele. Matt Costello answered with two triples that kept the contest tight, accelerating the pace and intensity as both teams extended their shifts. Source attribution: Euroleague coverage.
Daniel Nico Mannion gave Baskonia a lift, helping the Barça-aligned transition to a higher tempo. The Spaniards then moved the score to 23-19 after a quarter where Chima Moneke and his teammates found rhythm with ball movement and strong interior defense. Source attribution: Euroleague coverage.
Two threes from Llull helped Real Madrid regain momentum and push the score to a 4-15 run that shifted tone in Madrid’s favor. The Whites then leaned on inside plays engineered by Yabusele and Hezonja to create options for their forwards, exploiting Baskonia’s rotations and helping them to seize control near the end of the period. Source attribution: Euroleague coverage.
Alberto Abalde even filled a do-it-all role as a “four” after Hezonja picked up his fourth personal foul, keeping Madrid’s lines fluid amid a high-energy clash. The game turned frantic as both teams battled for every rebound and every free throw opportunity. Baskonia managed to stay within striking distance through relentless offensive rebounding and timely shots, finishing the quarter leading 47-43. Source attribution: Euroleague coverage.
Madrid settled the tempo after the break, but Baskonia countered with a burst that included Codi Miller-McIntyre outrunning Campazzo. A decisive counter from Poirier, who tallied seven points including a three, kept Madrid in the mix as the visitors attempted to regain control. Source attribution: Euroleague coverage.
The game oscillated as each positive Madrid move was answered by Costello’s relentless pressure. The Basque side’s defense remained stubborn, but Real Madrid maintained composure and found ways to score through the mid-range and beyond the arc. The contest swung back and forth until a dramatic finish set the stage for Campazzo’s late heroics. Source attribution: Euroleague coverage.
When the clock wound down, a 0-10 surge briefly swung the momentum in Madrid’s favor, but Baskonia refused to fade. The home squad led by a narrow margin as Chus Mateo’s men pressed for a decisive finish. Two last-ditch triples from Yabusele weren’t enough to seal the win, and the visitors took a 77-79 edge into the final moments. Markus Howard had a chance to steal it with a late three, but the attempt fell short, preserving Madrid’s edge. Source attribution: Euroleague coverage.
Data sheet:
77 – Baskonia (23+24+20+10): Miller-McIntyre, Howard (10), Sedekerskis (8), Costello (16) and Kotsar (5) – in the top five, Mannion (13), Raieste, Rogkavopoulos (4), Marinkovic, Diop (8) and Moneke (13).
79 – Real Madrid (19+24+19+17): Campazzo (2), Causeur (7), Musa (13), Yabusele (18) and Diagne – in the top five, Abalde, Hezonja (9), Llull (15), Poirier (10), Rodríguez (5) and Rudy. Source attribution: Euroleague coverage.
Referees: Belosevic (Serbia), Mogulkoc (Turkey) and Racys (Lithuania). Hezonja fouled out with seven personal fouls; a technical was charged to the guest player at minute 16. The match, opening night of the Euroleague, drew 14,017 spectators at the Fernando Buesa Arena in Vitoria. During halftime, Iñigo Etxazarreta from the Alava band ETS performed, followed by a performance from the Biscayan group Gatibu after the final whistle. Source attribution: Euroleague coverage.