Los Blancos outrebounded the hosts 31-49 to grab a big road victory
Real Madrid beat Paris at its own game to snap out of its funk
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Coming into Tuesday’s game against Paris Basketball, Real Madrid was aware that its players will be assigned with the tough task of competing against one of the best rebounding sides in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. Paris ranked second both in offensive (13.0rpg) and total (36.5 rpg) rebounds, both of which help them dictate the tempo and retain control of their games so far this season.
Yet, this time it was Los Blancos who dominated the boards by outrebounding a helpless Paris 31-49. Those 49 rebounds grabbed by the visitors was their highest mark this season and the second-best tally in the league in 2024-25 after ALBA Berlin’s 54 total boards in its 88-90 overtime win at Virtus Segafredo Bologna in Round 13.
Eight of the 11 players who stepped onto the court had at least 1 rebound each, with Walter Tavares finishing the contest with a game-high 14 boards – 6 of which came on the offensive end.
“We were patient,” head coach Chus Mateo said in the post-game press conference. “We believed until the end that we can win the game. But we were especially very solid on rebounds. We won the battle of the rebounds, which is one of the battles you need to win to beat Paris on their court. We were very serious with a great Tavares, a great [Gaby] Deck, Mario Hezonja and the outside players.”
Real Madrid shot well from both inside the arc (21 for 33, 63.6% 2FG) and three-point land (12 for 34, 35.3% 3FG), meaning that these extra possessions were crucial to manage the pace of the game.
“It’s not so easy to win the rebounds by this difference,” Mateo added. “We dominated the rebounds today on the offense and defense. We shot very well on offense, but we got some offensive rebounds too, which meant extra balls for us and it’s very important to get more possessions.”
Six Real Madrid players finished the game in double digits in scoring, with Facundo Campazzo netting 19, Hezonja 17, Dzanan Musa 12 and Deck 11, while Alberto Abalde and Tavares scored 10 each. More importantly, Real Madrid grabbed a statement 85-96 victory against the team topping the EuroLeague standings.
“We got to take this [win] as motivation to keep going,” Tavares told EuroLeague TV. “We know that we can beat a very good team like this, so we’ve got to stay focused, play with patience and make the best shot possible on offense to help us win the game.”
Los Blancos are now scheduled to host the other team currently topping the standings, with AS Monaco visiting the Spanish side to conclude both teams’ double-round week. Real Madrid will look to build on Tuesday’s performance, and dominating the boards could be key to accomplishing its goal on Thursday night.