Facundo Campazzo shines in final game for Real Madrid

Facundo Campazzo made his final game with Real Madrid a memorable one.

The Argentine guard, who accepted a two-year offer from the Denver Nuggets earlier in the week, contributed 20 points, five steals, four assists and two rebounds in Real Madrid’s 100-78 rout of Baxi Manresa on Sunday at Wizink Center.

With the win, Real Madrid improved to 11-0 in the Spanish Liga Endesa. Iberostar Tenerife is 10-1, while FC Barcelona is 9-2.

For the league’s lone unbeaten team, it was far from a one-man show. Sergio Llull finished with 17 points and Walter Tavares (11 points and 10 rebounds along with four block) notched a double-double to augment Campazzo’s potent performance. Jaycee Carroll netted 13 points, Gabriel Deck scored 12 and Alberto Abalde and Usman Garuba had seven apiece.

It’s been a week of resounding success for Whites coach Pablo Laso’s squad, with victories over Maccabi Tel Aviv and Fenerbahçe in the EuroLeague in the run-up to Sunday’s clash with Baxi Manresa.

Solid overall effort

And once again, Laso’s team did what it had to do to secure a victory. Or as he put it: “I have to praise them for their concentration, playing at a high level and the most important thing is that we have managed to find different combinations in every match.”

From the opening tip, Real Madrid received a strong offensive push from Llull, who scored 11 points over the first six minutes, and Tavares, adding eight in that span.

As a result, Real Madrid jumped out to a 25-18 lead at the end of the opening quarter.

Facundo Campazzo puts stamp on game

Facundo Campazzo, who is 29 years old, worked in concert with his high-achieving teammates in a performance that thrilled their spirited supporters.

Real Madrid took a 47-40 lead into halftime and maintained its high standard over the final 20 minutes.

The Whites elevated their play in the second half, using a 13-0 run to pull ahead 60-42 midway through the third period.

While Manresa got within 60-53, Real Madrid had too much firepower down the stretch. Campazzo scored seven of his 20 points in the third quarter, and Real Madrid pushed its lead back to 73-58 at the end of the quarter.

Laso reflects on Campazzo

Laso paid tribute to Facundo Campazzo after the game.

“I can only say good words about Campazzo,” the coach said of the dynamic backcourt leader who helped lead Argentina to a runner-up finish at the 2019 FIBA World Cup. Campazzo averaged 13.3 points and 7.8 assists at the 2019 FIBA World Cup.

Laso said, “I met him years ago when he arrived and I had no doubts about him as a player. From the first moment he showed himself to be able to develop personally and as a player.

“He has always maintained a very positive mentality, which has allowed him to improve in every aspect of the game. He’s always been able to improve during bad times and I’ve been very demanding on him to make him better. His arrival was very positive and so was his growth.”