Real Madrid won the 2023-2024 Endesa League this Wednesday after also winning the third game of the Final ‘Playoff’ against UCAM Murcia, which it defeated, again with work and coming back, by 73-84 at the Palacio de los Deportes to add their thirty-seventh league title. Real Madrid Basketball closes the national treble. The Madrid team once again encountered many problems against the Murcian team, who dominated them by ten points and had them ‘controlled’ midway through the third quarter, at which time Chus Mateo’s men found their devastating offensive rhythm to regain the lead. domestic throne and complete the national treble after winning the Endesa Super Cup and the Copa del Rey.
Real Madrid Basketball closes the national treble
Sito Alonso’s men, led by Dylan Ennis (18 points), tried in every way and their efforts were rewarded for much of the game, but as soon as they lost the rebound and Facundo Campazzo appeared (13 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists ), the ‘MVP’ Dzanan Musa (18) and Mario Hezonja (17) were activated, there was no response, although there was a response from his Sports Palace, which did not hesitate to thank him for his great campaign.
Once again, UCAM found the formula to make Real Madrid uncomfortable in attack, although without resorting to the zone. Despite this, and with the help of Musa, the Madrid team took the initiative (3-9), but Ennis was in charge of avoiding any early escape. The point guard, until now somewhat gray in the series, chained three triples, a weapon that did a lot of damage to Chus Mateo’s team.
They were losing rhythm in attack, this time without finding second opportunities because their rival closed their defensive rebound better. Despite the discreet 4/12 in the throw of two, Sito Alonso’s men were able to take the lead at the end of the first quarter, a good feeling that continued at the beginning of the second against a distraught Madrid team.
Sergio Rodríguez did not find the right direction and losses began to appear on the visiting side, which accumulated up to seven in this second quarter, key to being seriously overwhelmed for the first time in the series. Radebaugh and Radovic gave the first push and a ‘2+1’ from the Montenegrin unleashed euphoria in the Palacio de los Deportes (29-21).
Madrid did not finish reacting
Real Madrid tried to react with a three-pointer from Llull after the Murcia team missed good options (34-28), but continued without offensive fluidity and UCAM Murcia managed to stretch the lead towards ten, somewhat less (40-32) at half-time after good defensive actions led by Tavares.
The third period started a bit messy after two technicals (Causeur and Ennis) and one unsportsmanlike (Tavares). What did not change was the local intensity, showing superiority where he was supposed to be weaker and grabbing offensive rebounds with ease to continue leading. Ennis’ fourth triple and the work of Rodion Kurucs once again raised the euphoria in the stands (53-45).
But the visitors did not lose focus and responded with the Campazzo-Hezonja-Musa trio. The Argentine point guard, after a bad first half, began to get going (9 points) and the Croatian (10) and the Bosnian (11) joined the ‘party’. Real Madrid took one of its traditional offensive attacks after chaining three triples in a row and signed a 3-21 run to go to 34 points, two more than at half-time, and turn the score around clearly (56-66) before the final act.
in desperation
But UCAM was not going to give up easily and quickly reengaged in the game with the energy of Radebaugh and Saint-Ross and recovering its success from the triple, preventing Chus Mateo’s men from feeling so comfortable in the attack.
The university team was 67-73 and Caupain had three free throws, but he only scored one and that was where his resistance ended, with the addition that he was left for the final stretch without his two ‘5’ (Diagné and Morin), eliminated for fouls. With the Palacio de los Deportes standing for their own, they fought until the end, but Real Madrid closed the national treble where their victorious season began with the conquest of the Super Cup in September and which concluded after 86 games and only 14 defeats.
