Madrid’s incredible revival ends in heartbreak against Hapoel | OneFootball

Real Madrid still doesn’t know what it feels like to win in this EuroLeague. Pedro Martínez’s team lost 102-98 to Hapoel Tel Aviv in Sofia after staging a comeback that had seemed impossible, only to throw it away in the final quarter. The record is already starting to weigh heavily: three games, three defeats, all three away from home.

The problem was once again on defense. Hapoel scored 29 points in the first quarter and another 34 in the second to go into halftime with a commanding 63-43 lead. The bleeding continued after the break, and the Israeli side reached its biggest advantage at 67-45. A 22-point gap, and a Madrid side that looked completely out of the game.

Then another team showed up. Theo Maledon sparked the comeback, Tavares started doing damage inside, and Luwawu-Cabarrot found the basket from beyond the arc. Madrid went on a brutal 0-19 run, tied it at 70, and completed the comeback to go up 74-75. In just seven minutes, they had gone from being virtually finished to having the game in their hands.

But Elijah Bryant was still there. The American took control when Hapoel needed him most and punished a Madrid defense that once again lost its solidity. He finished with 22 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists, drew nine fouls, and posted a performance rating of 40—numbers that reflected his complete command of the game.

Maledon answered with another brilliant display: 26 points, five rebounds, seven assists, and also a 40 performance rating in just 26 minutes. It was not enough. Madrid lost the final quarter 27-23 and let slip everything they had built during their spectacular comeback.

The 0-3 record hurts especially because Madrid had come into this after winning the new EuroLeague Super Cup and had looked promising during preseason. Dubai, Anadolu Efes, and now Hapoel have quickly changed the picture. The comeback in Sofia shows that this team has plenty going for it; conceding 102 points explains why it still hasn’t managed to turn that into wins.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.