Real Madrid comes from behind to defeat Beijing
Real Madrid used a big fourth quarter comeback to pick up a 92:86 win against the Beijing Ducks in Beijing on Friday. The contest wraps up the Euroleague’s World Tour and gives them a 5-1 record with Olympiacos taking two games in Brazil, CSKA Moscow splitting with NBA teams having beaten the Minnesota Timberwolves and losing to the San Antonio Spurs, and then Real Madrid’s win over Beijing. It’s been a successful tour for exposure, the competition, and the overall results.
Beijing was led by Randolph Morris and Stephon Marbury with 28 and 25, while Madrid was led by Jaycee Carroll’s 14, Sergio Rodriguez’s 13, and Tremmel Darden’s 11.
The hosts got up early, but back-to-back scores from Sergio Llull and Darden pulled Madrid even. They exchanged baskets and the lead through the low-scoring first frame, with Madrid coming out of the quarter with a one-point lead, 14:15, after a put-back by Dani Diez at the end of the first 10.
Beijing put up four to open the second and grab the lead back, which was continuation of the back-and-forth battle the clubs started in the first. After numerous lead changes, Madrid pulled away near the end of the half to take a 36:42 advantage into the dressing room.
Rudy Fernandez opened Madrid’s scoring chart in the second half and got some assistance from Nikola Mirotic to help get the European club up eight, 44:52. China ran off six straight to close in 50:52 and kept going building a 63:57 advantage in the frame. Ioannis Bourousis dropped in four at the end of the third 10 to cut the gap to four, 65:61.
Madrid tied things up at 65 shortly after the fourth quarter started, but Morris led Beijing to a slim advantage once more. Madrid got the benefits of the long-ball and was able to build a lead, 70:75, only to be tied up by their hosts at 77. Again, the Europeans extended to a five-point lead, 77:82, but this time the Chinese squad couldn’t counter and the lead grew to 10, 80:90. In the end Madrid was able to hold on and bring home the fifth win for the traveling Euroleague clubs, 86:92.
It wasn’t easy for us to adapt to their style. They play very individual basketball based on Marbury and Morris and it was difficult for us. I think that we had a few good moments on offense. Aside from some time in the third quarter in which they had a good streak from the arc, we dominated throughout most of the game. I think we deserved to win. Now we are ready to start the season. We knew the tour would be hard on our schedule, we finished with no injured players and that is good. The experience in China has been very good, we knew a different country, lifestyle, philosophy… We visited a few great places and it was positive for us, even on a basketball level to know a different style of game.
–Pablo Laso, Real Madrid head coach
