Real Madrid uses 63-point second half to beat Bayern
In a high-scoring and exciting showdown, Real Madrid stayed undefeated in the 2013-14 Turkish Airlines Euroleague and improved to 3-0 in Group F by downing Bayern Munich 111-87 at home on Wednesday. Madrid was the first Euroleague team to break the 110-point mark in over six years. Los Blancos had 41 third-quarter points, two shy of the all-time Euroleague record, which belongs to Maccabi Tel Aviv from the 2009-10 season. Rudy Fernandez paced the winners with 24 points on 4-of-6 three-point shooting. He paced six Madrid scorers in double digits. Sergio Rodriguez added 19 and 7 assists, Nikola Mirotic had 16 points, Sergio Llull got 13, Jaycee Carroll contributed 12 and Felipe Reyes scored 11 points and pulled down 6 rebounds in just 15 minutes. Malcolm Delaney led Bayern with 22 points. Bryce Taylor added 14 while Lucca Staiger and Robin Benzing each had 12 for the guests, who outrebounded Madrid 3-16 in the first quarter to take a 17-24 lead. Reyes led Madrid's comeback and a wild buzzer-beating triple by Rodriguez gave the hosts a 48-47 edge at halftime. Madrid, led by an outstanding Fernandez, took off after the break for an 89-68 margin after 30 minutes and control the game until the final buzzer.
First quarter: Bayern outrebounds Madrid 3-16
Rudy got Madrid going with a driving layup. John Bryant beat the shot clock with a turnaround jumper and Staiger bettered Tremmell Darden's mid-range shot with a three-pointer that gave Bayern its first lead, 4-5. Bryant downed a five-meter jumper that Ioannis Bourousis erased with an up-and-under layup. A three-pointer by Mirotic restored a 9-7 Madrid lead. Bayern kept powering the offensive boards and a three-pointer by Staiger gave the guests a 9-10 edge. Benzing joined the three-point shootout to force Madrid to call timeout at 9-13. Delaney provided a highlight with a wild three-point play. Darden and Deon Thompson traded jumpers before free throws by Fernandez kept Madrid within 13-18. Rudy kept pacing Madrid with a big basket. Benzing nailed a step-back jumper and Rodriguez found his first points for a 17-20 score. Taylor scored off a steal and Thompson added a put-back layup for a 17-24 Bayern lead after 10 minutes.
Second quarter: Reyes, Rodriguez lead Madrid's comeback
Mirotic struck from downtown early in the second quarter, as Madrid started to lock the defensive boards. Fernandez also sank a three-pointer to bring the hosts within 23-24. Thompson scored in the low post and a jumper by Delaney gave Bayern fresh air, 23-28. Rodriguez hit a one-handed floater in the lane and a fadeaway jumper by Jaycee Carroll caused the guests to call timeout at 27-28. Carroll struck again from downtown to complete Madrid's comeback, 30-28. Rodriguez scored off a steal to cap a 9-0 run, but back-to-back triples by Staiger and Taylor put Bayern back ahead, 32-34. Felipe Reyes hit a mid-range shot and matched Bryant's three-pointer with a layup-plus-foul. Delaney and Reyes traded free throws and a three-pointer by Staiger gave Bayern a 39-42 edge. Marcus Slaughter hit a jumper and Rodriguez restored a 43-42 Madrid edge. Benzing nailed a wild three-pointer and exchanged free throws with Reyes before a three-pointer by Rodriguez allowed Madrid to get a 48-47 edge at halftime.
Third quarter: Los Blancos light up the scoreboard
Fernandez downed a triple from the top of the key, which Bourousis followed with a three-point play for a 54-47 Madrid margin right after the break. Delaney stepped up with a wild three-pointer, but Mirotic scored around the basket and back-to-back triples by Llull and Fernandez caused Bayern to call timeout at 62-50. Delaney insisted with another triple. Rudy hit an off-balance jumper and a fast break layup by Llull gave Madrid a 66-53 margin. Benzing hit an acrobatic shot that Mirotic bettered with a three-pointer. Bourousis and a red-hot Rudy made free throws to break the game open, 73-55. Thompson and Taylor tried to change things for Alba, but Fernandez scored again. Taylor and Delaney took over with back-to-back triples, which caused Madrid to stop the game at 75-64. Slaughter hit 3-of-4 foul shots and a three-pointer by Llull boosted the hosts' lead to 81-64. Mirotic followed a technical free throw with a jumper and Llull scored again to make it a 20-point game. Llull beat the shot clock with a wild triple. Heiko Schaffartzik and Taylor kept Bayern within 89-68 through three quarters.
Fourth quarter: Madrid keeps scoring, seals big win
Schaffartzik nailed a three-pointer early in the fourth quarter and soon added a jumper to bring Bayern a bit closer, 89-73. Mirotic ignited the crowd with a fast break slam and free throws by Rodriguez kept Madrid way ahead. Madrid had started to use longer possessions to run the game clock down. Delaney hit another triple, but Carroll singlehandedly restored a 96-76 Madrid lead. Savovic dunked only to see Rodriguez follow free throws with a fast break layup that gave Madrid a 100-78 margin with over four minutes left. Savovic scored around the basket. Carroll shined with a driving layup. A jumper by Thompson kept Bayern within 102-82. Carroll hit a baseline jumper and free throws by Reyes boosted the hosts' lead to 106-82. By the time Rudy dove for a steal and immediately hit a wild three-pointer, everything was said and done. Madrid remained undefeated and pleased its fans with yet another amazing home win.
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Eurocupbasketball.com