Real Madrid, Valencia Basket and Baskonia added defeats in the Euroleague round. Real Madrid fell in Belgrade to Estrella Roja 90-75, Valencia lost in Monaco 90-84, and Baskonia at home to Partizan 79-91. This poor run leaves the Spanish teams in a tough spot.
Real Madrid fails to win away in the Euroleague and fell in Belgrade to Estrella Roja 90-75. Under Sergio Scariolo, the white team squandered an 11-point lead in the first half, the only quarter where they competed with energy. Playing without control in the Belgrade Arena, they collapsed mid-second quarter, reaching their max advantage of 20-31 with a Garuba score. Three minutes later, Estrella Roja tied at 33 and took the lead, going into halftime 43-39. Okeke tried, but Hezonja missed long shots (1 of 9 threes) and Madrid lacked reaction.
In Monaco, Valencia Basket was dominated from start to finish by the home team, losing 90-84 and adding their third straight defeat. At the 1:30 mark, Nathan Reuvers tied at 2, but from then on they trailed. Without needing big numbers from Nikola Mirotic (15 points, his team's best), Monaco controlled the game. Valencia had defensive issues in the second quarter, conceding 30 points while scoring only 15, though they improved in the second half, winning the last two quarters and narrowing the gap to six points.
In Vitoria, Baskonia lost at home to Partizan 79-91, winless this season with five straight defeats, the worst start in Euroleague history. The Basque team drifted for minutes but rallied at the end, nearly turning the game around, though Partizan stayed calm and closed it out.