At some point, late in the second quarter, Olimpia led by nine points, 39-30 and looked totally in control of the tempo and the game, with its offensive execution and defensive aggressiveness. That was when Real Madrid came back, taking advantage of a couple of missed lay-ups, two missed free throws and riding two threes made by Sergio Llull, the first from the corner, the second at the buzzer, tied the game up at 42. The second half belonged to the home team. Olimpia lost toughness and energy, scored 29 points and couldn’t keep up ts defensive efficiency. Campazzo and Tavares were an unstoppable combo. Vincent Poirier did the rest. Real Madrid was terrific inside and finished dominating the half to win 87-71. The margin was bigger than what we witnessed on the court. Olimpia in fact was still in the game at the end of the third quarter, down by six. Real Madrid responded early in the fourth, gaining a couple of extra possessions. “I feel like the first part of the game, we played our game and only Sergio Llull’s incredible shots allowed Real Madrid to tie the game; the second part we played their game. Even at the end of the third when we were still in the game, the feeling was different, they were setting the tone,” Coach Ettore Messina said.

Olimpia was not assisted by three-point shooting, going 4-for-19 for the night, but it didn’t look like it was the key of a game it did a very credible job inside, getting 14 offensive rebounds. But Real Madrid made 10 threes and shot the ball well inside, converting repeatedly at the rim. Shavon Shields scored 16 points and added seven rebounds; Nikola Mirotic added 13 and six, but nobody else scored in double digit. Nicolò Melli had four assists. Devon Hall played a very solid game at both ends of the floor. But Real Madrid as of now is a step ahead. “They play with great confidence, they feel like they are going to win, no matter what. When you play with kind of confidence and have their talent and depth, the combination is almost impossible to face,” Coach Messina added.