Real Madrid hits record 18 triples in routing Galatasaray

Rudy Fernandez led seven Madrid scorers in double figures with 17 points on 5-of-7 three-point shooting as Los Blancos set a Top 16 record with 18 three-pointers in a 71-107 rout of Galatasaray Liv Hospital Istanbul on Friday at Abdi Ipekci Arena. The visitors led 34-57 at halftime and took the difference to 29 in the third quarter so that even a 15-0 Galatasaray charge wasn’t enough to threaten the outcome. The victory lifted first-place Madrid’s record to 8-1 in Group E, while Galatasaray dropped to 2-7. Andres Nocioni made 4 of 5 threes for 16 points for the winners, Jaycee Carroll scored 15, Sergio Rodriguez tallied 14 points and 7 assists, Gustavo Ayon also scored 14, Felipe Reyes added 11 points and Ioannis Bourousis 10. Madrid didn’t only make a lot of threes, it do so at a 64.3% clip. Madrid’s 29 assists were 1 shy of the Top 16 record too. Patric Young led Galatasaray with 19 points and 8 rebounds. Ender Arslan scored 17 points and Kerem Gonlum added 15 in defeat.

First quarter: Young, Gonlum keep Galatasaray close

Madrid won the opening tip and got on the scoreboard first when Reyes split free throws. Reyes tipped a pass to Ayon for a layup before Young’s slam got the hosts going. Rudy drilled a three and Reyes added a hook shot for a 2-8 start. Zoran Erceg battled to put his own miss in. Sergio Llull assisted to Reyes for a layup at the other end. Ayon’s rainbow jumper made it 4-12 midway through the quarter. Sinan Guler got a layup out of a broken play. Gonlum came off the bench and quickly assisted Young, who powered through Reyes for a three-point play. Llull used his speed to create a scoring opportunity for Reyes, who did not miss. Gonlum scored inside to bring Galatasaray within 11-14. After Nocioni sank a three from the corner, Gonlum split free throws. Rudy’s second three put Madrid up 8. Young threw down a monster two-handed slam and Gonlum scored twice from the foul line to halve the deficit. Llull’s long pass broke the Galatasaray press and resulted in a Nocioni layup. Arslan and Bourousis traded baskets Gonlum’s free throws in the final second of the quarter made it 20-24.

Second quarter: Carroll gets hot as Madrid pulls away

Nocioni buried his second three and Carroll made his first as Los Blancos took a 10-point lead. Carroll ran the pick-and-roll with Bourousis, who finished with a dunk. Carroll stayed hot with a floater to cap a 0-10 run. Vladimir Micov drove hard to the rim for a basket plus foul, but the hosts had no answer for Carroll, who assisted Bourousis again and then drained another three for a 23-39 advantage. Arslan drove down for a layup for the home side. After a Nocioni tip-in, Arslan scored twice more to make it 29-41. Rodriguez scored 5 points on the next two possessions. Gonlum kept Galatasaray fighting with a jumper and 2 free throws. Carroll connected from downtown once more to make it 33-49. Bourousis and Young split free throws before Marcus Slaughter got on the scoreboard for the visitors. Reyes made it a 20-point gap from the line. Rodriguez finished the half with a triple to give Madrid a 34-57 lead.

Third quarter: Ayon helps visitors push difference to 29 before hosts answer

Gonlum opened the second half with a put-back basket. Ayon countered with a turn-around jumper. Rudy connected on another triple and Ayon shuffled a pass to Reyes as Madrid rolled on. Young scored a hook shot. Rudy shined with a fantastic driving reverse layup. Carter connected on Galatasaray’s first three pointer, but Ayon scored twice – the second from a great long pass from Llull – to make it 41-70. Young added a jumper for the hosts, but Ayon seemed to score at will for Madrid. Arslan sank a three and Carter added a bucket for the home team. Llull scored his first points from downtown and K.C. Rivers found Ayon for a layup. Gonlum buried a jumper and Arslan sank a pair of triples to bring about some cheers from the crowd. Young’s circus shot and foul capped an 11-0 run that made it 59-77.

Fourth quarter: 12-0 run seals the victory

The momentum remained with the hosts after Young’s steal led to Ege Arar’s layup and Young scored in the paint to complete a 15-0 run. Carroll finally ended Madrid’s drought. A Rodriguez triple restored a 20-point advantage. Rudy added a pair of three-pointers in a 0-12 response that erased any doubt about the outcome. Young Kristijan Nikolov knocked down a three for the hosts. Bourousis scored inside and Micov got a lucky bounce on three, but Jonas Maciulis buried a three for the visitors. Young threw down another huge slam. Nocioni hit two more triples to take Madrid over the 100-point barrier and Facundo Campazzo added a jumper at the buzzer to complete a 71-107 win.