Liga ACB — Matchday 19
Before returning to Copa del Rey action, Real Madrid played their final home game for a long period as they hosted Coviran Granada at home.
After travelling to Athens and Dubai for EuroLeague matches, Real Madrid returned to Liga ACB action against Granada, who currently sit at the bottom of the league table. Madrid will not return home again until February 26, making this stretch one of the busiest periods of their season.
In the first meeting between the two teams earlier this season, Real Madrid defeated Granada 111–101 away from home.
Before this game, the two sides had faced each other seven times, with Real Madrid winning every single meeting. Three of those matches were played in Madrid, while four took place in Granada.
One of Real Madrid’s most important players, Mario Hezonja, was not included in the squad in order to avoid injury during this intense schedule.
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First Quarter
Granada started the game strongly and managed to challenge Real Madrid early on. However, repeated fouls allowed Madrid to regain control and move ahead again.
Alex Len became one of the key names for Madrid during the opening quarter.
From the beginning of the match, Mario Hezonja’s absence was clearly noticeable in Real Madrid’s offensive structure.
Alberto Abalde also contributed important moments for Madrid.
Compared to many of Madrid’s recent games, this match moved at a quicker pace with fewer interruptions. Despite that, Granada continued to push Madrid hard, and the game remained close throughout the quarter.
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Second Quarter
Towards the end of the second quarter, Granada came very close to catching Real Madrid on the scoreboard.
34–30
Thanks largely to Alex Len’s performance during the second quarter, Madrid managed to stop Granada from taking the lead.
After several foul shots for Granada, loud boos could be heard from the home crowd. This reaction was unusual compared to previous games, but the fans were clearly frustrated with Madrid’s performance against the team currently sitting last in the standings.
38–34
The second quarter continued with Madrid supporters loudly booing whenever Granada scored, but the growing pressure from the crowd did not stop Granada from continuing to score points.
40–36
Real Madrid entered halftime leading 40–36, but compared to their usual performances, their slower tempo and more cautious style prevented them from fully pulling away from Granada.
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Third Quarter
Real Madrid entered the third quarter determined to increase the gap. Whether because of the halftime team talk or the fans’ reaction, Madrid noticeably changed the intensity and style of their play.
By extending the score to 58–44, Madrid looked more focused on avoiding mistakes and finally creating a comfortable advantage.
Alex Len once again played an important role during this stretch of the game.
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Fourth Quarter
After a strong third quarter, Real Madrid began the final quarter in a calmer and more controlled way.
Even with a 20-point gap at one stage, Granada continued playing with determination and tried to turn the game around.
Real Madrid struggled at times to compensate for Mario Hezonja’s absence. Although they progressed the ball well into the half-court, they often lacked a consistent scorer to finish possessions and convert attacks into points.
Meanwhile, Granada slowly began reducing the deficit point by point.
This was surprising considering the difference in league positions, with first-place Real Madrid struggling to comfortably defeat bottom-side Granada.
Perhaps Madrid intentionally used a slower pace to avoid injuries, or maybe the coaching staff wanted to conserve energy ahead of a demanding run of matches.
Despite still leading during the second half of the fourth quarter, Real Madrid fans continued strongly supporting their team, clearly unwilling to let Granada build any momentum.
Granada, meanwhile, kept converting fouls into points and gradually moved closer on the scoreboard.
86–70
Despite the boos from the crowd, Granada continued scoring and showed determination to close the gap.
Final Score: 94–79
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