2020-21Regular SeasonRound 13
Real Madrid 79
Zenit St Petersburg 72
December 10, 2020 CET: 21:00
Local time: 21:00 WIZINK CENTER

Real rolls past Zenit for Laso’s 200th win

Real Madrid made it six wins in a row at home by holding off Zenit St Petersburg 79-72 on Thursday night. The first half was closely contested with defenses largely on top and it was 36-31 at the break. Real started the second half with a 20-3 run to take control, and although Zenit got closer with a 0-9 run entirely through Austin Hollins early in the fourth, the margin was too big to be overcome and Real never looked seriously troubled. Walter Tavares powered the home team with a double-double of 11 points and 13 rebounds, while Alberto Abalde scored 16 points. Anthony Randolph and Nicolas Laprovittola both added 11 and Trey Thompkins 10. Hollins led the scoring for Zenit with 15 points, KC Rivers netted 12 against his former club and Kevin Pangos also scored 12. Real improved to 8-5, climbing above Zenit (7-4) in the standings.

Abalde drove inside to open the scoring and Thompkins made it 4-0 with a hook shot. Will Thomas got the visitors started before Mateusz Ponitka’s triple and Alex Poythress’s tip-in gave Zenit its first lead, 6-7. Randolph and Thompkins put Real back on top, but Zenit enjoyed a 0-7 run through Rivers from deep and Arturas Gudaitis and Pangos inside, making it 13-14. Jeffery Taylor’s triple saw the lead change hands again and Tavares added a three-point play. Rivers and Abalde traded three-pointers and it was 24-21 after the first quarter. Randolph’s corner three started the second quarter and Tavares’s tip-in made it 29-22. Zenit was held nearly 5 minutes without a field goal, but Billy Baron scored 5 straight points to keep it close. Real didn’t score for 4 minutes before Sergio Llull penetrated for a layup-and-one. An easy score for Taylor added to the lead before Ponitka’s bank shot with a foul on the halftime buzzer made it 36-31 at the break.

Laprovittola opened the third quarter from long range and another Tavares tip-in gave Real a double-digit lead, 41-31. Laprovittola drained another three, but Baron answered likewise for Zenit’s first score of the second half. Gabriel Deck, Abalde and Laprovittola stretched the lead to 51-34 as Zenit couldn’t get anything going on offense. Hollins finally stopped the drought, but free throws extended Real’s advantage to 58-36. Poythress scored twice to make it a little closer, 59-42, at the end of the third. Abalde reasserted Real with a three-pointer early in the fourth, but Hollins scored all the points in a 0-9 run, including a four-point play, to make it 62-51 and keep Zenit hoping. Rivers added a three-pointer, but Real’s defense then held firm and Abalde’s layup-plus-foul made it 70-58 with 3 minutes left. Rivers and Thompkins both had three-point plays and Thomas added a triple before free throws from Pangos gave Zenit a small chance at 73-66 going into the last minute. But Randolph struck a corner three and the outcome was sealed.

Old foes seek surprise

In a game between two coaches who know each other extremely well, there were early tactical surprises in an attempt to provide something unexpected: Pablo Laso sent out Real with no recognized point guards and Alberto Abalde filling that role, while Xavi Pascual’s Zenit began the game in a zone defense.

Milestone win for Laso

The victory marked a milestone for Real coach Laso, who claimed his 200th victory in the competition. He also took his personal EuroLeague record against former Barcelona coach Pascual to 10-6.

One streak continues, another ends

The outcome saw one streak continue while another came to an end: it was Real’s sixth consecutive home victory, but Zenit’s first loss on the road all season after six previous successes.

D does it for Real

Real leaned on outstanding defense to establish a game-winning lead. Zenit was only allowed 10 points in the second quarter and scored just 3 points in the opening 8 minutes of the third, allowing Real to move ahead by more than 20. Jeffery Taylor’s outstanding defense on Kevin Pangos was a big factor in that effort.

Next round

Real travels to Greece on Tuesday evening to take on Panathinaikos OPAP Athens in Round 14. Zenit's next game will be at home versus FC Bayern Munich on Wednesday.

Alberto Abalde - Real Madrid - EB20
Thursday, December 10, 2020
Euroleague.net
Referees: PUKL,SASA; JOVCIC, MILIVOJE; VYKLICKY, ROBERT
Attendance: 0
By Quarter1234
Real Madrid24122320
Zenit St Petersburg21101130
End of Quarter1234
Real Madrid24365979
Zenit St Petersburg21314272
Real Madrid
  Rebounds Blocks Fouls
# Player Min Pts 2FG 3FG FT O D T As St To Fv Ag Cm Rv PIR
1 CAUSEUR, FABIEN 4:22                         2   -2
3 RANDOLPH, ANTHONY 17:09 12 2/3 2/4 2/2 1 2 3 1     1   2 1 13
5 FERNANDEZ, RUDY 9:00   0/1 0/3     1 1 1   2         -4
6 ABALDE, ALBERTO 30:05 16 3/7 3/4 1/1 1 2 3 2 2       3 1 16
8 LAPROVITTOLA, NICOLAS 16:15 11 1/1 2/3 3/4       4   2     3 3 11
14 DECK, GABRIEL 23:17 2 1/1 0/1     3 3 1 4 1     2   6
16 GARUBA, USMAN 7:03 2 1/1 0/1   1 3 4       1   1   5
20 CARROLL, JAYCEE DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
22 TAVARES, WALTER 24:30 11 3/9   5/5 4 9 13 1 3 2 3   4 7 26
23 LLULL, SERGIO 23:01 6 1/4 0/3 4/5       2 1 1     1 3 3
33 THOMPKINS, TREY 18:57 10 3/6 1/1 1/1 1   1 2 1 4       2 9
44 TAYLOR, JEFFERY 26:21 9 1/1 1/1 4/5       1         3 5 11
Team             3 3               3
Totals 200:00 79 16/34 9/21 20/23 8 23 31 15 11 12 5 0 21 22 97
        47.1% 42.9% 87%
Head coach: LASO, PABLO
Min: Minutes played; Pts: Points; 2FG M-A: 2-point Field Goals (Made-Attempted); 3FG M-A: 3-point Field Goals (Made-Attempted); FT M-A: Free Throws (Made-Attempted); Rebounds: O (Offensive), D (Defensive), T (Total); As: Assists; St: Steals; To: Turnovers; Bl: Blocks (Fv: In Favor / Ag: Against); Fouls: Cm (Commited), Rv (Received); PIR: Performance Index Rating
Zenit St Petersburg
  Rebounds Blocks Fouls
# Player Min Pts 2FG 3FG FT O D T As St To Fv Ag Cm Rv PIR
1 RIVERS, KC 29:15 12 1/2 3/6 1/1 2 1 3     1   1 1 2 10
3 ZAKHAROV, DENIS 2:53 2     2/3   1 1     1     1 1 1
4 PANGOS, KEVIN 21:53 12 4/6 0/2 4/4 1 2 3 4 1 5     1 4 14
7 FRIDZON, VITALY 1:45                   1         -1
9 HOLLINS, AUSTIN 24:46 15 3/4 2/5 3/3 1 1 2 3 1 1     3 3 16
10 THOMAS, WILL 26:07 5 1/2 1/1   1 3 4   2 1     2 3 10
12 BARON, BILLY 17:53 8 1/2 1/5 3/3 2   2 2   1     1 1 6
14 PUSHKOV, ANTON 2:17 1 0/2   1/2   1 1         1 2 1 -3
20 ZUBKOV, ANDREY 20:19 3 1/2 0/2 1/2   3 3 1   1     5 1 -2
22 POYTHRESS, ALEX 16:35 6 3/4     1 4 5   1 3     5   3
25 PONITKA, MATEUSZ 22:02 6 1/2 1/1 1/1   5 5 5   3     1 3 14
77 GUDAITIS, ARTURAS 14:15 2 1/5   0/1   2 2         3   2 -2
Team           1 1 2               2
Totals 200:00 72 16/31 8/22 16/20 9 24 33 15 5 18 0 5 22 21 68
        51.6% 36.4% 80%
Head coach: PASCUAL, XAVI

Head Coaches

LASO, PABLO
Real Madrid
"We controlled the game in the first half, but missed too many open jumpers and some details. In the third quarter, we played great defense and looked very solid. We opened the floor with jumpers, moved the ball well, so I think our third quarter was decisive in the game. We made a lot of mistakes in the fourth quarter and they came back. They hadn’t lost away, which is for something, and they showed it today trying to come back and playing great until the end. It’s an important victory against a team that was perfect away from home. I think Jeff [Taylor] was great, he knew the game plan from the beginning to shut down Pangos, a very important player for them who creates a lot of situations, good scorer, good passer, but I think Jeff did a great job. Not only him, for sure he was great and I’m happy for him, but I think the whole team made a great effort tonight."
PASCUAL, XAVI
Zenit St Petersburg
"Congratulations to Madrid for the win, they were the better team. In the first half, we were in the game, but we did not have much energy in our fourth game in eight days. In the third quarter, Real came out strong and we were lacking ideas. We showed character and fought until the end, and for three quarters we competed. But for one quarter, we were not able to do so. The schedule is not an excuse, Real Madrid played better even though we were missing our usual energy. Tavares had a big impact, he’s very difficult to play against and that was key today."

Players

ABALDE, ALBERTO
Real Madrid
"We’re happy. We played a very solid game defensively and in the third quarter, we got a big advantage. They fought until the end and made it closer, but we had the game under control. We are growing as a team and in good form collectively, but there is room for more improvement."
TAYLOR, JEFFERY
Real Madrid
“[In the third quarter] we just wanted to play well, play together, and continue to build on the defense from the first half, not allow them to get a good start and go on some kind of scoring run. We wanted to take control of the game and we were able to do really well on defense, then made some shots on offense so it was great."
TAVARES, WALTER
Real Madrid
"We needed to fight, Zenit was playing great so we were focused. I try to help every time I’m on the court and Pablo [Laso] always tells me to get the rebound so we can run, so I stay focussed on that. "