2018-19Regular SeasonRound 8
Real Madrid 89
Herbalife Gran Canaria 76
November 20, 2018 CET: 21:00
Local time: 21:00 WIZINK CENTER

Randolph grabs double-double in Madrid win

Real Madrid withstood a tough test from Spanish rival Herbalife Gran Canaria to advance to 8-0 with an 89-76 home victory. The visitors led most of the first half after a barrage of three-point shooting, but improved defense allowed Madrid to take control after the break and Gran Canaria's late rally wasn't enough. Anthony Randolph paced Madrid with a double-double of 20 points and 10 rebounds, while Klemen Prepelic – deputizing for the injured Sergio Llull – scored 13 and Rudy Fernandez did a bit of everything with 9 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. D.J. Strawberry paced Gran Canaria, which dropped to 2-6, with 20 points and Round 7 MVP Eulis Baez added 14.

Gran Canaria's long-range shooting quickly hit top stride with a triple from Kim Tillie, 2 from Strawberry and another from Marcus Eriksson securing an early 4-12 edge. Facundo Campazzo and Randolph both scored twice to pull Madrid closer, but Strawberry sank his third three-pointer before Christopher Evans finished the quarter with 5 quick points for a 22-28 lead. The home team started the second quarter fast and tied the game at 33-33 through Prepelic from deep, but Xavi Rabaseda, Clevin Hannah and Baez all struck triples to send Gran Canaria back ahead. The visiting team's scoring finally slowed towards the end of the first half, which saw Madrid mount a 10-2 run in the final five minutes, including 6 points from Randolph, for a 47-43 halftime lead. Defense from Walter Tavares and offense from Randolph and Campazzo saw Madrid stretch the lead to double digits midway through the third, but Gran Canaria rallied through free throws. It was 62-57 after three quarters. Baez struck from deep, but Jaycee Carroll and Prepelic answered from close range and a wild triple from Fernandez stretched the advantage. Gran Canaria didn’t give up and a fastbreak layup from Strawberry made it 77-70 with three minutes left, but a hustle steal from Fernandez allowed Randolph to slam for a decisive lead inside the final two minutes and it wasn't close again.

Gran Canaria can't sustain shooting spree

Gran Canaria's three-point shooting was at record-breaking pace in the early stages. The visitors netted 4 triples in the first three and a half minutes and continued at a similar rate, converting their ninth of the game midway through the second quarter. Gran Canaria was 9 of 12 from long range at that point, but it couldn't be sustained. Madrid tightened its perimeter defense and Gran Canaria only made 2 more three-pointers and finished 11 of 27 from beyond the arc.

Tavares swats them away

Perhaps one major reason for Gran Canaria's persistence from downtown is that it kept the ball away from Walter Tavares. And the Madrid big man certainly made his presence felt whenever the visitors did attempt to attack inside, blocking 4 shots and disrupting several more. Those swats protected Tavares's status as the league's leading shot blocker and right now nobody else looks like coming close to challenging him for that crown.

Prepelic steps in for Llull

Madrid was handed a blow before the game with the news that Sergio Llull was unable to play through injury, but summer signing Klemen Prepelic stepped into an unfamiliar role to help fill the gap left by Llull with great authority. He played more than 14 minutes and paired 13 points with 3 assists, proving again that Madrids roster runs very deep.

Randolph continues hot streak

Another absentee was Gustavo Ayon, who suited up, but did not step onto the floor. But Anthony Randolph made sure his teammate was not unduly missed by continuing his great form with 20 points and 10 rebounds – his seventh game out of eight with double-digits scoring and his second double-double of the season.

Next round

Madrid heads to Greece for a tantalizing meeting with Olympiacos Piraeus on Thursday, while Gran Canaria returns home to take on fellow EuroLeague newcomer FC Bayern Munich.

Anthony Randolph - Real Madrid - EB18
Tuesday, November 20, 2018
Euroleague.net
Referees: RYZHYK, BORYS; BOLTAUZER, MATEJ; KARTAL, ERSAN
Attendance: 7328
By Quarter1234
Real Madrid22251527
Herbalife Gran Canaria28151419
End of Quarter1234
Real Madrid22476289
Herbalife Gran Canaria28435776
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 14:39 7 3/5   1/2   2 2 3   1   1 4 1 4
3 RANDOLPH, ANTHONY 25:44 20 6/8 1/5 5/6 1 9 10 2   2 1   1 3 26
5 FERNANDEZ, RUDY 24:37 9 0/2 3/5   2 4 6 3 3 1 1   2 3 18
7 CAMPAZZO, FACUNDO 25:25 10 1/4 2/6 2/2   2 2 3         2 3 9
9 REYES, FELIPE 15:42 7 3/4   1/1 2 4 6 1 2 2     3 3 13
14 AYON, GUSTAVO DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
20 CARROLL, JAYCEE 20:41 8 4/7 0/3             2     1 1  
22 TAVARES, WALTER 16:00 4 2/3     1 4 5     2 4   4 2 8
24 DECK, GABRIEL 6:09         1 1 2             1 3
25 PREPELIC, KLEMEN 14:35 13 3/4 1/4 4/4 1 1 2 3         1 2 15
33 THOMPKINS, TREY 16:25 7 1/1 1/1 2/2   2 2 1 1 1     3 1 8
44 TAYLOR, JEFFERY 20:03 4 1/1 0/2 2/2 1 1 2 3   1       1 7
Team             1 1               1
Totals 200:00 89 24/39 8/26 17/19 9 31 40 19 6 12 6 1 21 21 112
        61.5% 30.8% 89.5%
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
Herbalife Gran Canaria
  Rebounds Blocks Fouls
# Player Min Pts 2FG 3FG FT O D T As St To Fv Ag Cm Rv PIR
4 OLIVER, ALBERT 2:13   0/1           1              
5 HANNAH, CLEVIN 19:24 7 1/4 1/1 2/3   2 2 3 1       3 3 9
8 ERIKSSON, MARCUS 19:46 5 1/2 1/3     1 1 1 1 1       2 6
12 BALVIN, ONDREJ 19:29 6 3/4       5 5     3     3   4
13 BAEZ, EULIS 23:26 14 3/4 2/5 2/2   5 5 1   1   1 2 2 14
14 PASECNIKS, ANZEJS 20:13 2 1/6 0/1 0/1   1 1 1       2 4 7 -2
21 PAULI, ORIOL 9:09 4 2/3       3 3       1   2   5
22 RABASEDA, XAVIER 13:27 5   1/1 2/2         2 2     2 1 4
23 EVANS, CHRISTOPHER 12:18 5 1/3 1/3   2 1 3 1   2     1   2
24 STRAWBERRY, DJ 25:34 20 3/8 3/7 5/5 1 1 2     2   2 2 4 11
31 RADICEVIC, NIKOLA 18:27 2 1/1 0/1   1 2 3 6         2 1 9
41 TILLIE, KIM 16:34 6 0/2 2/5   1 1 2 2 1 2   1     3
Team           1 2 3               3
Totals 200:00 76 16/38 11/27 11/13 6 24 30 16 5 13 1 6 21 20 68
        42.1% 40.7% 84.6%
Head coach: MALDONADO, SALVA

Head Coaches

LASO, PABLO
Real Madrid
“We talked before about avoiding turnovers, we were looking for shots and moving the ball well. When we didn’t do that we suffered and they shot well from the three-point line. Our defense improved during the game, and in the third quarter we were able to get control. This team has a lot of very good players, someone can step up one day but the next day it’s another. We saw Klemen playing a great game today at point guard, which he’s not used to, and defensively Taylor was important. We need a bit of everyone to become a better team every day.”
MALDONADO, SALVA
Herbalife Gran Canaria
“The game had a very offensive first half with accurate shooting. We controlled the first quarter thanks to our rhythm, but in the second quarter Madrid pushed harder. It was a close game, and offenses ruled defenses. In the second half both teams’ defensive systems improved, but we were in the game. I’m happy with my team. We weren’t outstanding but we competed and we worked hard until the end.”

Players

RANDOLPH, ANTHONY
Real Madrid
“We had to come and play hard, this is EuroLeague. We wanted to match their intensity in the second half, we took the lead and played much better. We’ve been together for a while, we’re unselfish, anyone can be the biggest player in the game and we all support each other.”
PREPELIC, KLEMEN
Real Madrid
“We needed to pick up the defense and we did a good job in the second half – they scored less than 30, we didn’t let them get so many offensive rebounds and we didn’t turn it over much. Coach asked me to play point guard and think I did a good job offensively but I have to improve the defensive side of my game.”
TILLIE, KIM
Herbalife Gran Canaria
"It was a very difficult game in a complicated court, but we fought until the end. The scores were close until the last four minutes, but we were with a lack of energy and concentration in the these crucial moments. Real Madrid has a great roster with too many rotations and role players."
BALVIN, ONDREJ
Herbalife Gran Canaria
"It was a close game until the end. We began really well scoring from distance, which gave us and extra energy at the beginning. We forced Real Madrid to play at a high level during 40 minutes, but they took advantage of our mistakes in the end of the game."