Veteran guard Sergio "El Chacho" Rodriguez produced a masterclass performance on Thursday in helping steer Real Madrid to a 78-85 road win at Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade to even their best-of-five playoff series 2-2, forcing a decisive Game 5 in the Spanish capital next Wednesday.
It was a second successive win in Belgrade for last season's Turkish Airlines EuroLeague runner-up, which had dropped Games 1 and 2 at home before clawing its way back into the series on the road.
Big man Walter Tavares -- who had already stood out in Tuesday's lifeline 80-82 win at Stark Arena with 26 points and 11 rebounds -- played a huge role again in Game 4 as he completed a three-point play in the final minute, effectively sealing Real's victory. Tavares finished the game on 15 points and 7 rebounds as Real's joint top scorer alongside surprise package Adam Hanga.
However, the 36-year-old Rodriguez earned the plaudits this time as the unsung hero of a win that shifted the series back to Madrid, where the club with a record 10 EuroLeague titles will hope to finally make home-court advantage count.
Rodriguez, who won the 2015 EuroLeague crown during his first stint with Real and another with CSKA Moscow in 2019, posted 8 points and 7 assists in 18:21 minutes on the court, hitting both his three-point shots and a solitary one from two-point territory. It was a selfless and mature display from Rodriguez, who pulled the strings on offense and also marshalled the defensive effort after he came off the bench.
Rodriguez may no longer have the same speed and agility that made him one of the most valued European guards in his prime. But his vision and experience makes him an indispensable part of Real's current roster, which aims to overcome three do-or-die games in order to reach the May 19-21 Final Four in Kaunas.