The French troops from Madrid were returning home and were up to the task, especially Causeur and Yabusele, who between them had 43 points in the classic Astroballe de Villeurbanne. The whites followed to the beat of Yabusele at the post of four (18 and 3 assists) and with Causeur as a gunner (25 points distributed like this: 4 of 5 of two, 5 of 6 of three and 2 of 2 from the personal). More Tavares, very focused after the disqualification on Sunday in Fuenlabrada for two techniques. The giant flowed with the team when things were going well and acted as an anchor for the few drifting moments. Very squeezed this time, touching three quarters and a half on the court, just like Yabusele. Laso and his players they also controlled Elie Okobo’s scoring threat from the second quarter, when he added just 10 of his 26 points (and five of his six assists, that too). A player clearly to follow, underlined in red for the next transfer market. Causeur started with him and Hanga improved him, who distributed 6 assists in a night in which between him and Abalde, and no more point guard (due to injury), they left Heurtel more than 24 minutes on the bench.
To the success in the triples (13 of 30), the merengue team added 20 assists and a wide dominance of the rebound (25 to 39). Only the losses, 17, prevented a more comfortable finish and an even more attractive score: 74-87. Laso would later say that the team was tired And the sequence is exhausting: from receiving the Zalgiris to Fuenlabrada in a day and a half, 48 hours later to Lyon and this Thursday the Red Star lands at the Palacio. If that’s not burning miles …
The white fans thought at the end of the first quarter that the team had failed to transfer its success and superiority to the scoreboard: 24-33 after 8-20 of minute 6. Only a +9 in a period in which Real barely missed three shots, no triple (4 of 4), and made his 9 free throws, in addition to leaving 0 rebounds and 1 assists to Asvel. He had started with Abalde as a base backed by Causeur and Hanga, who were trying to tie Okobo and Jones. The Villeurbanne fans saw it differently: they clearly lost despite the capital display of their new star, Okobo, which stacked 16 points and 1 pass. And the one who did not wear a white or blue shirt may have thought that the visitors were much superior, but they did not know how to stop the rival star or take sufficient care of the ball: 6 losses then.
In the second act, Okobo rested for a long time and Chris Jones took the baton, not at his level, of course, although between him and Osetkowski’s open triples, plus a sharp change in the battle for the rejections, the Asvel was within range of three: 34-37. Forced time-out and immediate reaction from Real, so abrupt that TJ Parker had to answer with another stoppage to give instructions 40 seconds after Laso. Rudy and Tavares chained a 0-5. The advantage was around 10 again until the break: 43-51.
Triplazo of Causeur from about 12 meters
In the resumption, the same starting five with three forwards and two interiors, one that squeezed a lot back and circulated the ball judiciously: 47-62. The French retaining wall was cracking. With that +15 Madrid lost patience and tried to go easy. The result? He chained six failed triples, the first five, bad shots, either by choosing the hasty or the desperate option. The sixth, on a nice move from Heurtel towards Hanga in the corner, didn’t go in either. Tavares was the bra with intimidation, rebounding and sweeping the rim. And on the seventh, the charm. Causeur scored by taking the steps from midfield and on the horn of the third quarter about 12 meters from the basket. In fact, the ball left his hand with one tenth remaining.
It was the final fireworks before it was all over, because there was cloth left to cut. Causesur violently downloaded 8 more points (for 25) at 2:01 in the last quarter and, despite traveling 21 up (54-75), Madrid had to ask for the time: 70-78. Well, maybe not so much, rather than demanding the end, he glanced at the clock a little fly. Two triples from Rudy redirected the waters. In the fight for the lead.