Real Madrid leaves the champion alive: an amazing comeback without victory

• Classification This is the Euroleague

What happened in Sinan Erdem was worthy of a final, pure agony.

The two teams that played for the title in Belgrade in a roller coaster battle.

A shower of three-pointers from Efes, an amazing comeback from Real Madrid and an outcome where once again the whites were unable to finish off.

The champion won by the minimum and sighs with relief.

[90-89: Narration and Stats]

Because he's still alive in this Euroleague that doesn't forgive naps.

He will still have to row to be in the playoffs, to try for the third consecutive title, to be the nightmare of the seeded teams.

Because the occasion was propitious for the white double objective.

To settle in the lead, next to Olympiacos, and leave Anadolu mortally wounded.

To the indolent Efes, who has spent half a season at half throttle and now all the alarms are going off.

Because at this moment, with almost no net, with a fierce fight for the last places towards the title in which Maccabi, Baskonia, Zalgiris or Partizan do not falter, Ergin Ataman is haunted by

problems, victories that do not come hurry him and the accounts do not come out.

With that in mind, he emerged victorious, although it was not exactly an exercise in solidity.

It was more of a proud reaction, an overwhelming third quarter and a finish where he had more fang than this Madrid that still doesn't know how to close games.

muse and deck

The Turkish triumph in the abyss is still another warning to the teams that dominate, a threat to the playoffs.

So many things are at stake in a duel that should have been played a few weeks ago -postponed due to the tragedy of the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria- and which was now worth even more.

Hence respect, equality, the chess battle.

Madrid woke up dominating, walled in defense and with

as stilettos: on the run, they are unstoppable for anyone.

But without the couple on the field and despite enjoying a glossy advantage (31-39),

's men suffered the local avalanche, a rush before the break that was the proclamation of what was to come.

The right spark was a hold from

punished with unsportsmanlikeness: from there to the break, an 11-0 that turned the game around.

Because Madrid was left stone.

Defensively broken by Efes' movement of the ball, which, supported by its brutal accuracy, grew until it tore apart its rival.

His talent unleashed on him, surfing downwind against a rival who got tangled up with refereeing to make everything worse.

The third quarter was bloodletting, a rain of three-pointers (Efes went on to sign a 13 of 22, eight only in that section) to put the victory on track (77-60).

And in that well, Madrid reacted, the unthinkable, clinging to the samba of

was out due to injury

and

is still recovering- and Efes vanished.

A 6-24 run, seeing is believing: the team that had scored 35 points in the third quarter added just four in the first eight minutes of the final.

There were three minutes left when

scored the triple that turned everything around (83-84) and then Chus Mateo again ran out of ideas to win.

Larkin responded

-the same man who was key in the last final- sentenced Deck with a basket and a block.

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