Real Madrid evens score with Barca bashing

Real Madrid tied the Spanish ACB finals series against Barcelona and set down a commanding marker against its arch rival. Los Blancos travelled to the cauldron of Catalonia and tuned Barcelona 70-90 in a destructive performance that gives the club all the momentum as the series heads back to the Spanish capital on Monday.

After losing Game 100-99 in a mini classic, Real Madrid turned up the heat in Game 2 to put in one of its most complete performances of what has been a patchy season. The series is now perfectly balanced once more, but the pressure is now on Barcelona to deliver in Madrid or risk getting overrun.

Of course, Real Madrid is the defending champion and is hunting its 33 ACB title overall, while Barca (last champs in 2014) are in pursuit of its 19th.

Barcelona vs. Real Madrid, 70-90

This was a game that was bookended by Real Madrid dominance, with the winners getting the hard work done in the first and fourth quarters. The precedent was set in a blistering first act from Los Blancos, the white jerseys overrunning Barcelona and taking a commanding 12-28 advantage into the first split. The hosts slowed the Madrid offence in the second quarter and used a 20-16 winning frame to tighten the gap at halftime, the scoreboard reading 32-44 through the long break.

Barcelona continued to eat into the double digit lead, draining 26 points in the third quarter. However, Madrid was not getting schooled and managed 22 points of its own to lead by 8 points through thirty minutes, 58-66. The hosts lost their momentum in the fourth act as Real Madrid went up a gear, the guests completing a cruising win with a 12-24 streak in the closing stanza.

Sergio Lull led five Madrid players in double figures with 20 points, followed by Gustavo Ayon with 19 points. Trey Thompkins and Filipe Reyes bagged 12 points apiece, and Sergio Rodriguez took 10 points.

Ante Tomic produced 14 points to lead Barca, while Stratos Perperoglou added 10 points in the losing effort.