Real Madrid Dominate Emporio Milan in Movistar Arena: 106 – 77

In a massive victory this past Friday over Barcelona, Real Madrid look to continue their four-game win streak in EuroLeague competition ahead of their busy week. A EuroLeague double header awaits Los Blancos with the first test coming Tuesday night at 20:45 pm against Emporio Armani Milan. 

Milan arrives in Madrid having won four of their last five matches across all competitions. They are led by star point guard Armoni Brooks and versatile forward Shavon Shields. To win, Madrid will need to channel their stellar defensive performance seen against Barcelona. The Italians are a notoriously high scoring team posing a serious threat. 

Real Madrid looks to capitalize on another massive victory against the Italian side as they sit 5th on the EuroLeague table with a record of 14-8. Having gone unbeaten in their last five, the defense has been the instrumental part of their success. 

Despite the threat Milan poses, Madrid has the X-factor in Edy Tavares presence within the paint. Alongside Tavares, Trey Lyles is a sharp three-point shooter and post player, averaging 13.8 points per game this season. Together these two will be the key that influence the direction of the game, enforcing head coach Scariolo’s tactics.

First Half 

As the ball tipped, Real Madrid came out the gates firing on all cylinders. Abalde stole the show early as he was knocking down shot after shot. His clinical three-point shooting helped Madrid jump out to an early lead against Milan. At the conclusion of the first quarter, it was evident that it was going to be a great night shooting the basketball for Madrid. 

The second quarter saw Real Madrid turn the burners on even more, dragging themselves ahead of Milan by 18 points. Trey Lyles was an absolute game changer after not playing the entirety of the first quarter. Through crafty post play and a sharp three pointer, he was able to reach 11 points in 10 minutes of game time, sending Real Madrid into the half with a 54 – 36 lead.

Second Half 

In the third quarter the game finally slowed down a bit and there wasn’t much action. Milan was finally able to pressure Los Blancos and slow their tempo of play down making it difficult to score. However, Real Madrid with three minutes left in the quarter was able to score some crucial baskets to place themselves up 24 heading into the fourth quarter. 

Emporio Milan had no answers to stopping the dominance of Real Madrid. Throughout the fourth quarter, Trey Lyles, Mario Hezonja, and Tavares all combined to stretch Real Madrid’s lead further leading them to a comfortable win. Madrid looked fluid in every area of the game and were all over Milan from the jump. 

It was an impressive victory for Los Blancos and demonstrated why it is challenging for opposing teams to come play in the Movistar arena.

Press Conference

On the back of an amazing win for Madrid, head coach Sergio Scariolo spoke with the media praising his team. He explains it was a “great game on both sides of the court. We rebounded and defended well and had a great contribution from every player that stepped on the court”. Scariolo was extremely pleased with the effort his squad put in against Milan resulting in total domination through four quarters. He then went on to explain “the most important thing for us is where we are heading”. Well, if this is the direction that Real Madrid is heading, they are going to be in great shape. 

Overall, it was a terrific performance for Real Madrid who completely dismantled and dominated Milan in all areas of the game. Unbeaten in their last 6 matches, Real Madrid looks ahead to their next matchup against Monaco at home this Thursday. Emporio Milano’s next match is in Milan against Zalgiris this Thursday.