Everything goes against Joventut, everything from the first moment: this is where their magnificent streak ends.
They had won seven consecutive games (four in the Eurocup and three in the ACB League), all they had played in this December, until the whites appeared in Badalona to destroy everything.
It takes La Penya three minutes to add his first basket, and by then Madrid, leader in the domestic league and intractable in the Euroleague, has taken over the stage: in the paint Tavares rules and outside, Campazzo (0-6) .
They are joined by Hezonja, author of eight points (two triples) in the first quarter, and even Rudy Fernández, always whistled where his home had been, who scores a triple and increases the white lead to 32-47.
The second quarter ends at 35-53, a monologue from Madrid, which is driven by the external success of its men, with eight triples in the first half.
By then, neither Andrés Feliz nor Ante Tomic have entered the game, and only Pau Ribas, with eight points, seems minimally in tune. Under these parameters, the game is long for Penya, who receives blows from all sides, under the rim and also from the three-point range. Tavares and Ndiaye are hammering him from the inside, and Musa is now punishing him from the outside, another one who comes into action with two triples (at the end, the whites have 15 triples).
White's advantage shoots up to 29 points. He remains at 24 (55-79) at the end of the third quarter, but by then the die is already cast. With an inspired Madrid and a shrinking Joventut, any hint of a reaction seems impossible.
Madrid, the boss of everything this season, is sailing high, while Joventut strives to recover from a hesitant start to the season and sneak into the bus of the eight best, those who aspire to a place in the Cup. On Friday they visit Manresa, rival straight through that square.
