The two bench players shined brightly in the second quarter as Los Blancos grasped control of the game.
Poirier, Rodriguez took Real Madrid to another level against Zvezda
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3 Mins read
Regular Season
Round 15 of 34
Group Regular Season
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Following a first quarter that got the Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade fans in full voice, with the score tied at 20-20 after 10 minutes, Real Madrid took control of the contest thanks to the dominant play of Vincent Poirier and Sergio Rodriguez. Their contribution in the second quarter ended up laying the roadmap for what proved to be Los Blancos’ 14th win from 15 games in the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.
The opening quarter saw Poirier play just the final 5 seconds, while Rodriguez had 1 rebound, 3 assists and 0 turnovers in 1:56 minutes. Yet, by halftime, Poirier had 12 points, 1 assist, 1 steal and no turnovers, while Rodriguez had 6 points, 1 rebound, 6 assists, 1 steal and just 1 turnover. As such, Real went into the break with a commanding 34-45 lead.
Zvezda had no answer for Poirier, Rodriguez
To get the second quarter underway, the French big man scored a hook shot before Rodriguez and Poirier linked up for a highlight-reel alley-oop play. But it didn’t stop there. Another hook shot was scored by Poirier, who had all 6 of Real’s points to start the second quarter, 22-26. Rodriguez then found Poirier for another alley-oop, giving the center a quick 8 points, 26-31.
From there, it was the turn of Rodriguez to put some points on the board. Poirier this time turned provider, finding the Spaniard open on the left wing to knock down a three-pointer, 30-38. Milos Teodosic responded by scoring a triple for Zvezda, 33-38, but Rodriguez drained his second three in quick succession to keep Real in control, 33-41.
Silencing the Stark Arena crowd
After came the silencer. With Rodriguez having recorded a steal, he had the chance for what looked like an easy layup. But no, his telepathic relationship with Poirier meant he knew exactly where his teammate was going to be. A behind-the-back pass followed and an emphatic dunk by Poirier all but silenced the Zvezda crowd inside Stark Arena, as Real made it 33-43.
Zvezda had a first quarter that would have given it hope, but Rodriguez and Poirier were more than happy to play the role of party poopers. In the end, Real led the entire way after Poirier’s opening basket in the second quarter en route to a 58-72 victory, its 14th triumph from 15 games.
With bench players like Rodriguez and Poirier making a significant impact on a night-by-night basis, it’s hard to see this Real team slowing down any time soon.