Real Madrid mauls Crvena Zvezda

Reigning champion Real Madrid put on a show on late Thursday night, dominating Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade on the way to a 98-71 win. Both teams now stand at 1-1 in Group A. Madrid allowed only one basket in the first nine minutes of the contest, running out to a 19-2 lead and margin grew by minute after that. The hosts held a 56-20 halftime advantage and led 76-30 midway through the third quarter, before finally slowing down and cruising the rest of the way for its first win of the season. Jaycee Carroll netted 19 points, and Gustavo Ayon collected 16 and 7 rebounds to top the scoring charts Trey Thompkins added 12 points, Willy Hernangomez and Sergio Llull each scored 11 and Sergio Rodriguez dished 11 assists. Maik Zirbes finished as the top scorer for Zvezda with 15 points, Marko Simonovic added 12 and Borisa Simanic scored 10 in his Euroleague debut. Stefan Jovic had 9 points and 9 assists in defeat.

Llull and defense get Madrid going right away

Llull opened the scoring with a runner and added a pair of free throws. Baskets were few and far between at the start of the game, with Madrid playing active on defense and holding the visitors without a basket for more than four minutes. Felipe Reyes scored a fastbreak layup for a 6-0 starts before Ryan Thompson opened Zvezda's account with a fastbreak dunk. But a triple from Rudy Fernandez opened a 10-2 margin and forced the visitors to call a timeout. But that did not stop Madrid's run, as Fernandez dished a pass for Ayon's three-point play. Hernangomez had a layup and Llull drove coast-to-coast as the margin reached 19-2. Borisa Simanic ended Zvezda’s drought with a triple, but Rodriguez answered right back and Madrid led 22-6 after 10 minutes.

Carroll gets hot as Madrid runs a rout

Carroll hit a wide-open three to start the quarter, followed by a put-back from Hernangomez and a triple from Thompkins to make it 30-7. After a timeout, Hernangomez scored inside twice, including a big two-handed dunk in the lane. Marko Guduric scored a three-point play to cut the deficit to 34-10, but Thompkins scored a short jumper and Carroll nailed a corner triple. Zirbes banked in a shot, and after Carroll scored a put-back, Simanic answered with a put-back dunk that made it 41-14. Carroll nailed a triple before Rodriguez and Ayon connected on back-to-back layups. Zirbes and Thompkins traded baskets inside, before Doncic knocked down a corner triple off one leg, the first three-pointer of his career in the competition. Before the quarter’s end, Reyes and Nastic traded baskets inside to make it 56-20.

Third quarter: Margin reaches 46 points

Guduric finished a driving layup in traffic, but Reyes scored inside for a 59-22 lead. After Ayon banked in a runner, Sofoklis Schortsanitis scored an easy reverse layup, but an off-balance three-pointer from Fernandez and a layup from Maciulis broke the 40-point barrier, 67-26. After a timeout, Jovic nailed a long jumper, but Ayon scored twice more inside before Thompson drove for a layup for the visitors. Llull drove to the hoop for 76-30 as the hosts’ rhythm slowed down. Marko Simonovic sank a three-pointer, and after Nocioni scored inside, Branko Lazic scored from long range for Zvezda to make it 78-37. Hernangomez banked in his shot inside, and after Jovic made a runner, Fernandez banked in a circus shot. Zirbes ended the quarter, beating the buzzer for close range to put 82-41 on the scoreboard.

Fourth quarter: Madrid cruises, Jovic and Zirbes cut the deficit

Simonovic and Nocioni traded triples to start the quarter. Jovic dished for a Zirbes dunk, and Simanic nailed a long range shot. Lazic and Jovic each made a pair of free throws. After a floater from Carroll, Jovic found Simonovic for an open three-pointer and then drove for a layup himself that made it 87-58. As the game was getting closer to the end, Nikola Rebic scored a layup, but Thompkins hit a three-pointer, Madrid’s tenth of the night to lead 93-60. Zirbes scored 6 of 8 from the foul line. After Carroll made a baseline floater, Simanic knocked down a baseline jumper, helping cut the deficit to 95-68. At the very end, Madrid’s Dino Radoncic scored his first Euroleague point, rounding out the score at 98-71.