Nike ICJT L'Hospitalet report: Real Madrid 97-68 CSKA Moscow
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Real Madrid became the third team to reach the Euroleague Basketball Nike International Junior Classification Tournament L’Hospitalet semifinals by overwhelming CSKA Moscow 97-68 in the final game in Group D. Madrid became the Group D champion and will face either FMP or Cajasol in the next round. Meanwhile, CSKA is still looking for its first win but still can finish fifth in the competition. Nikola Mirotic paced the winners with 27 points on 11-for-14 two-pointers. David Garcia added 17, Endika Bahillo had 13 while Nikola Rakocevic got 10 for Madrid. Maksim Bychkov, Alexander Morozov and Nikita Barinov each had 11 points for CSKA. Bychkov and Fedor Sorokin paced CSKA in the early going but Mirotic led a 9-0 run that Rakocevic capped with free throws for a 12-6 Madrid lead. CSKA still managed to get within 15-13 but Madrid punished its opponents' 2-3 zone defense. Bahillo sank a three-pointer while a red hot Garcia stroke three times from downtown - including back-to-back triples - and added free throws for a 31-15 Madrid margin after 10 minutes. Bychkov tried to change things with consecutive baskets but Madrid stayed fully focused, running its offense through a dominant Mirotic. Even with that, a three-pointer by Ivan Strebkov got CSKA within single digits, 36-27. It didn't last long, however, as Garcia and Alvaro Gomez hit respective triples while Mirotic stayed unstoppable around the basket, allowing Madrid to boost its margin to 53-33 at halftime. Rakocevic shined after the break while a wide open triple by Ignacio Esteban made Madrid get a 30-point margin, 67-37. Bychkov kept trying to change things for CSKA but he only managed to bring CSKA within 76-50 after 30 minutes. Everything was said and done up to that point, as Madrid cruised to a well-deserved win.
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Javier Gancedo, L'Hospitalet
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