• Mirotic. The intrahistory of signing: a last minute call to Real Madrid to be offered

There is no quiet battle in the Euroleague, nor an exit without cheating. There is no room for relaxation or silly evenings. Real Madrid added in Kaunas the first defeat of the season, where they had won on the last six occasions , on that hot track where the baskets are religion. There was no hero this time nor a comeback in extremis. He gave in to the passion of a Zalgiris, which is the extension on the track of his coach. [86-73: Narration and statistics]

He manages renewed groups Sarunas Jasikevicius, because every summer his pearls are swiped, without lowering his head to the most wealthy projects in Europe, always the competitiveness of the miracle team and a technician who has plenty of brides but remains true to his idea and its origins. It was with ardent warrior that he overcame Real Madrid and his two previous defeats that were a threat of ballast. He knew how to take command, endure each stake and not give in to the pressure of the outcome, where a powerful Zach Leday emerged to trample on any visitor attempt.

Madrid was coming with all the obstacles of a rough afternoon, of an awkward first half before the frenzy of the rival, before the intensity injected from the same exit. It is a matter of character, but also of necessity. The dawn was like a jug of ice water on the faces of the whites, with 12 of the first 14 points of the Zalgiris converted by Nigel Hayes , a guy who had only put five in the two previous shots. A mobile, bouncing and aggressive power forward that took Tavares off and set off some alarm.

Madrid went to tow, which lost 50 seconds to Campazzo - this time Laprovittola fulfilled, although he no longer returned in the second half -, with two fouls that left him in the bank until the break. Without him at the controls, it was hard to score, although Deck and Carroll eased something. Too many losses, too many offensive rebounds granted and few triples. The whites needed to find their modus vivendi, the rhythm and the joy, the fluency, that which so much channels the Facu, essential, how not.

With him on the way back, the reaction attempt came. A partial 0-10, with good minutes of Causeur in his first appearance and, above all, of Anthony Randolph , the main offensive reference, in a field in which already the last course was the best. There was an impás there in which the whites were able to conquer the Lithuanian fortress, break the wall. But neither the success nor the rebound were on their side.

One of the main points, also by Pablo Laso who sat 30 seconds into the third quarter, was Tavares . The dominating giant is missing from the end of last season. The Zalgiris, with his mobile pivots and his heart, clearly dominated the rebound (36 to 27) and that was going to give him the wings towards victory. Because, in addition, Madrid remained dry in the finish line, also upset by some prior arbitration decision. A very distant triple of Ulanovas and Leday's resounding last act (he finished with 26 points and nine rebounds), were his grave. If he already escaped a miracle a week ago before the Maccabi, with that triple Carroll, the Zalgiris showed him that in Europe they are not worth half measures.

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