The reborn Real Madrid flies to the Final Four in style

Real Madrid confirmed its catharsis at La Mano de Elías, an unbeatable setting, a fierce venue for legendary duels between the two old rivals.

In a resurrection as inexplicable as their recent slump, the Whites crushed Maccabi to fast-track the quarter-final series and return to the Final Four three years later.

It will be the seventh time (of a possible nine) in the

, perhaps the most amazing of all.

[76-87: Narration and statistics]

Because, you have to repeat it to believe it, Madrid came to the moment of truth in the middle of an abyss so deep that light seemed impossible.

Entangled in defeats, in disconnections and even in non-sports episodes such as the

affair .

The same team that was alarmingly undone in Tenerife or against Bayern, that was dwarfed against Barça or that did not exceed 47 points in Kaunas.

He himself now exhibited such hopeful power that he was the only one to stand in Belgrade with a 3-0.

Because, that will be the reason, it had to be Europe, where its history shines, the place of its rebirth.

Laso was not going to change his road map.

He bet on what has made him revive.

That is to say, the reincorporation of

after overcoming covid -and getting on the plane to Tel Aviv almost on the run- did not mean less mutation against Maccabi -in fact, the Argentine, who had been the most used man, did not even play- , just to get

out of those summoned who has not just recovered from his cervical discomfort.

And soon the battle seemed like an extension of what happened at WiZink last week.

It was not a mirage.

The white defensive fang commanded by

and the intimidation of

, and his offensive ease to dominate, this time without triples.

Wilbekin

But Maccabi now had its wounded pride and the spur of the Hand of Elijah, a brutal atmosphere, a dedicated country.

And Wilbekin took it personally, despite defensive efforts first by

.

The point guard from Florida was the beginning and the end of the Hebrews, who verified how the white bench, with

at the controls, did not lower the bar of energy and concentration.

Already in the second act, Laso's group threatened to break a Maccabi that was beginning to doubt (34-48), for which WiZink's 2-0 win haunted them like a ghost.

Because he couldn't find a way to hurt his rival, powerful in the paint, electric on the perimeter:

was the paradigm of excellence.

And on the other hoop, with the strength of the defense, the more choral Madrid grew, moving the ball with confidence and ease: 18 of the 20 baskets in the first half came after assists.

Desperately, Maccabi upped the ante around the locker room, spurred on by the heat of its stands.

For a 5-0 start.

For aggressiveness to the limit.

But even fortune was with the visitors, with a Williams-Goss three-pointer like an oxygen bottle at the bottom of the ocean.

Madrid gritted its teeth, another notch of character, and entrusted itself to Llull, on one of those nights.

Magical, the Spaniard took over the stage and, luck once again, closed the third quarter with another three-pointer after missing his second free throw to further increase the distance (61-73).

But it was as if the white players multiplied, as if there were two Hangas or two Rudys.

Nobody was able to stop

.

Regained self-love, self-confidence.

The potion with which to reach any sky.

A triple by

with six minutes to go, in the face of local desperation, was already the final blow with so much ahead, despite the fact that Maccabi never gave up.

Seeing is believing.

A ticket to Belgrade, where he already awaits the rest, mainly Barça, with whom he would meet in the semifinals.

As in 2013, the first Final Four of lasismo, where Maccabi was also the rival swallowed in the quarterfinals.

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