Tavares becomes immense for Real Madrid in Belgrade

Without the scoring joy of recent games, but with the same forcefulness, Real Madrid won at Red Star's home to continue one more day as co-leader of the Euroleague.

The white team turned the game around in the last quarter with great defense and an immense

, who subdued the Serbian team, dominating both baskets.

The Cape Verdean had 17 points, 12 rebounds (seven in attack) and 4 blocks.

(59-79: Narration and statistics)

In a game that started serious, began to go wrong in the second act, and became more complicated in the third, Tavares was the anchor of a defense that at the moment of greatest trouble turned out the lights for Red Star.

The Serbian team, which had come from behind thanks to Nedovic, Petrusev (35 points between the two), took more than five minutes to score their first basket of the last quarter.

By then, what had been a five-point lead (47-42) was a victory at the hands of Real Madrid (51-69).

The white team had started the game with a very good first quarter, notable in defense and outstanding in attack.

The presence of Edy Tavares on the inside and a particularly physical quintet fortified the paint, while the circulation of the ball gave wings to an attack that continued the happy inertia of recent games.

But at some point in the second quarter that fluidity was lost, and

's men fell into those one-on-one actions that so often cut off their irrigation.

They were also the best moments for Red Star, which they found in Nedovic (14 points in the first half, 18 in the game) and

(7 assists) who gave him air.

The addition of Petrusev and the ex-Madridista Kuzmic, the only one big enough to face Tavares, helped complete the comeback in the third quarter with an 8-0 run that put Real Madrid on alert.

Hanga and Abalde

Only when the white team understood that the physique of Hanga and Abalde could bring the Red Star scorers to heel, when Tavares and Petr Cornelie claimed the zone, and

(19 points) woke up, did Real Madrid begin to turn the game around.

The reaction began in the final minutes of the third period and struck down the Serbian team at the beginning of the decisive one, with an impeccable stretch in defense that left the victory and joint leadership in the hands of Real Madrid.

'Freedom for Facu'

The shadow of

ran under the surface.

Real Madrid had the right of first refusal over the Argentine point guard on his return to Europe, but Red Star lassoed him with an unusually high salary.

High for a team that is not among the biggest budgets in the Euroleague, but above all high for a team that was penalized for non-payment.

The punishment, which prohibits the Serbian club from registering new players in the Euroleague until February 28, had existed in a precautionary manner since December, but the signing still went ahead.

The firm decision, official since a week ago, has caused 'curious' scenes.

Like his colleagues, the same ones who could be affected by new defaults, go out to warm up with shirts that claim 'Freedom for Facu';

that the players' union, which should watch over them, demand that the sanction be lifted;

or that Campazzo himself, who is shining in the Adriatic League, but will not be able to play in the Euroleague until March, has to confirm on Twitter that his intention is to stay.

In the midst of this situation, the visit of Real Madrid, which did not want to match the offer but to which Campazzo still owes part of the clause, raised the tension of an already hot field like Pionir.

Some of their nerves led them to throw a soft drink against the white bench, an incident that stopped the game for a few minutes.

Nothing that happened to adults.

The Argentine, despite the pressure from his team, had to watch the game from the stands along with his compatriot Luca Vildoza, a very sensitive loss for a team that, when the Real Madrid defense closed the door in the last quarter, did not he found scoring relief for

.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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