Real Madrid clinches its tenth Supercopa against Unicaja

At the Palacio de los Deportes in Murcia, Real Madrid clinches its tenth championship, dashing Unicaja’s hopes of winning their first Supercopa in history. It’s the twelfth consecutive victory in the competition for the Blancos, who haven’t lost a game since 2017 when they were stopped in the semifinals, and Valencia lifted the trophy.

The game starts evenly, meeting expectations. Both teams exchange blows, with Perry and Musa as the primary firepower, joined by an excellent Hezonja, a far cry from his performance against Barcelona yesterday. Real Madrid steps up the pace, registering an 11-1 run between the first two quarters for a +7 lead, making the 2/9 free throws in the first 10 minutes less significant. Despite foul trouble (3 for Poirier and 2 for Tavares) forcing coach Mateo to send young Ndiaye back onto the court, Madrid continues to play well, increasing their lead over Malaga. Towards the end, Campazzo shines, scoring 8 points in a row in front of his former fans, sending everyone to the locker room with a 31-44 score, the maximum advantage.

Returning to the court, the Blancos attempt to extend their lead, reaching a +14 with Hezonja (12 points). However, Ibon Navarro’s men respond, reducing the deficit to just one possession, led by Thomas (8 points in the quarter). The Andalusians keep pushing and find a lead they haven’t had since the first quarter: 56-54 with 1 minute left. Hezonja, Campazzo, and Tavares contribute to a 0-7 run that secures a new +5 lead.

It’s a wide-open game in Murcia, with Unicaja taking the lead again thanks to a remarkable performance by Osetkowski. Musa responds, and Llull completes the comeback with his signature shot. Malaga makes one last attempt, but Real Madrid proves to be an almost unbeatable opponent in a single-game final. Mateo’s men win 81-88, securing their tenth trophy.

UNICAJA-REAL MADRID 81-88

(17-21, 14-23, 25-17, 25-27)

Unicaja: Osetkowski 14, Ejim 4, Kalinoski 9, Taylor 8, Barreiro 1, Díaz 0, Carter 9, Djedovic 3, Diop 0, Badji 2, Thomas 14, Perry 17. Coach: Ibon Navarro.

Real Madrid: Causeur 0, Fernández 0, Campazzo 19, Hezonja 17, Rodríguez 4, Poirier 11, Tavares 12, Llull 5, Yabusele 5, Ndiaye 2, Musa 13. Coach: Chus Mateo.

MVP

Campazzo, the Argentine wizard, claims the title in front of his former fans. He scores 19 points and provides 5 assists.