Real Madrid steeled itself for bigger duels to come in Group C by taking care of business at home Thursday against last-place Zadar, 114-84. The victory was the third in a row for Madrid (8-2) and provides good cushion as the team goes on the road for games at contenders Pau-Orthez and Skipper. After playing difficult CSKA at home, Madrid must end the regular season at first-place Panathinaikos. Barring disaster, Madrid can look forward to a spot in the Top 16, while Zadar (2-8) must look to spoil another team's chances. Veteran guards Lucio Angulo and Alberto Herreros led Madrid's unstoppable scoring charge with 19 points apiece. Rumeal Robinson was the high scorer of the game with 24 for Zadar.

Madrid accomplished their goal within the first six minutes of the game, in which they swept the Croatians off the court. The new head coach in Zadar, Hrvoje Vlasic, called a time out at 8-3, just three minutes into the game, and when he sent his boys back onto the court he found a storm in his face. Real was lethal from the 6.25-meter line and put on a demolishing 24-0 run that made it 32-3. It was over and out for Zadar at that point. The Croations didn't exist at all, but the relaxed play after that by Madrid, combined with Robinson's scoring and Tomislav Ruzic's pride, avoided a complete catastrophe. Real Madrid got as far ahead as 31 points (46-15). By the time the teams walked into the lockerrooms the visitors had already taken 10 Madrid threes in their basket. Davor Marcelic hit Zadar's first three-pointer in minute 15, but it was already too late. After having scored 64 points in the first two quarters, Real Madrid gave the Croatians a little break after the half. The Spaniards only tried to stop any outbreaks by its rivals without worrying too much about the final gap in the score, since it was too much for Zadar to overcome.