Madrid overwhelms Red Star despite five absences

The Real Madrid displayed their best offensive version this Thursday at the Movistar Arena to defeat Crvena Zvezda led by Ibon Navarro with a resounding 105-84 in the 11th round of the Euroleague. The victory, the largest of the European season for the whites, came despite the absences of Facundo Campazzo, Theo Maledon, Gaby Deck, Mikael Jantunen, and Usman Garuba. With this win, the Madrid team now has seven victories and four defeats, reaching the Serbian team's classification while waiting for the three remaining matches of the round to be completed.

Dominance from the first quarter

The Madrid dominance was evident from the first minutes. The Real Madrid closed the first quarter with a partial of 38-20, setting a pace that Crvena Zvezda never managed to neutralize. By halftime, the difference had widened to 15 points with a score of 56-41. The white team maintained that superiority throughout the second half, consolidating a victory that highlights their ability to compete at the European elite even with significant absences in their lineup.

This offensive display is even more relevant considering they were up against the best offense in the Euroleague. The Real Madrid arrived at this duel averaging 97.8 points per game in their first ten competitive matches, while Crvena Zvezda boasted the most solid defense with only 75.0 points conceded on average. Thus, the clash at the Movistar Arena pitted the two extremes of the competition against each other: maximum offense versus maximum defensive solidity, with the whites clearly taking the victory.

Outstanding individual performances

Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot was the top scorer of the match with 22 points, completing an almost perfect shooting performance: 3 of 3 on two-pointers, 3 of 4 on three-pointers, and 7 of 7 on free throws, totaling a valuation of 24. Gabriele Procida contributed 19 points and notable perimeter efficiency with 4 of 5 on three-pointers, reaching a valuation of 22. Nick Smith Jr., who started, added 13 points and 4 assists, demonstrating his importance in Pedro Martínez's scheme. Andrés Feliz rounded out the white offense with 11 points, 7 assists, and a valuation of 19.

Collectively, the Real Madrid displayed remarkable offensive efficiency: they scored 17 of 36 three-pointers and 22 of 23 free throws, distributed 21 assists, and dominated the rebounds 34 to 27. For Crvena Zvezda, Tyson Carter led with 18 points, followed by Jordan Nwora with 12 and Patrick Baldwin with 11.

A streak of consistency in Europe

The win over Crvena Zvezda continues the upward streak of the white team in the continental competition. The Real Madrid started the Euroleague with three consecutive losses, but since then, they have won seven of their last eight European matches. The only defeat in that stretch was 112-115 against Panathinaikos, demonstrating a remarkable recovery that positions the whites as serious contenders for the top spots in the standings.

Moderation and prudence from Pedro Martínez

After the match, Pedro Martínez was clear in his statements about the need to keep their feet on the ground. The Madrid coach pointed out that they should not "toot their own horn" despite the resounding outcome. "We are Madrid, a good team with good players," he stated, establishing a tone of humility that contrasts with the magnitude of the victory. Martínez acknowledged that "we obviously miss those who are not here," referring to the five absent players, but emphasized confidence in those who were available.

The coach was emphatic in rejecting any attitude of complaint or victimhood. "We also don't want to complain because that would be a lack of respect, depending on how you look at it, because we wouldn't be respecting those who are here," he explained. Martínez stressed that injuries are part of the game and that the goal is to trust the entire roster without falling into vanity. "Feet on the ground," he insisted, reminding that there are "three away games" where they will see if they can recover any of the injured players.

Regarding Nick Smith Jr., who did not participate in the previous match against UCAM Murcia in the Liga Endesa, Martínez highlighted his good daily attitude. "The kid always has a good mentality day by day. I have many players and I want everyone to have the opportunity," he expressed, showing his intention to maintain rotations and give minutes to different players depending on the circumstances.

The self-criticism of Crvena Zvezda

Ibon Navarro, coach of Crvena Zvezda, had previously warned about the offensive potential of Real Madrid, commenting that "they can score 100 points without even trying." After the defeat, the Vitoria coach performed a severe self-critique of his team's performance. "I think our staging is very poor. Lack of intensity, toughness, energy," was his immediate assessment of the match.

However, Navarro did not hold back praise for the opponent. He described Real Madrid as "very good" and pointed out that "they have a very high explosiveness level, they have players who, when you move them, lift the level." His conclusion was clear and forceful: "If you don't match them, they will destroy you." This Serbian coach's reflection captures the reality of the matchup: the white team was superior in almost all aspects of the game, from defense to attack, including pace control.

Crvena Zvezda comes into this match after defeating Olympiacos in Piraeus with a score of 57-62, a win that demonstrates their defensive ability, but which was not enough to contain the offensive potential of Real Madrid this time.

The Real Madrid will continue their journey in the Euroleague by visiting the court of Besiktas on Wednesday, November 18 at 18:00 in round 12. Before that, in the Liga Endesa, the whites will receive the visit of Kosner Baskonia on Sunday, November 15 at 19:00.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Madrid arrolla al Estrella Roja pese a cinco bajas