Madrid landed in the last Final Four very physically and mentally punished by the very tough quarter-final series against Partizan Belgrade. Against Zeljko Obradovic’s group, the whites became the first team in the history of the Euroleague to come back from 0-2 in a tie. The feat left scars on body and soul, as well as a series of sanctions. But when the pools pointed elsewhere, a rebellious team emerged to defeat Barça in the semifinals (66-78) with 20 points from Tavares the night Mirotic sunk, and then to beat Olympiacos (78-79) with the Llull’s terminal basket.
A year later, neither this Madrid in Berlin is the same as the one in Kaunas nor is Olympiacos. The Greeks have seen Sloukas escape to the great domestic rival, Panathinaikos, and Vezenkov (29 points in the title game a season ago) pack his bags to try the NBA adventure with the Sacramento Kings. Williams-Goss, Hanga and Randolph said goodbye to the Madridistas. And the differentiating factor arrived, according to Chus Mateo: Facundo Campazzo.
The Argentine point guard has returned to Madrid at the age of 33 as if he had never left. The probation of the American League has been left behind, after paying the highest exit clause in European basketball, about six million euros, and the Red Star transit station. On his return to Spain, the point guard has won two titles, the Super Cup and the Cup, with the award for best player, MVP, in both, as well as in the regular phase of the ACB, with the whites already in the semifinals. In the Euroleague he finished the group as the second highest assister (6.5 passes per duel), behind Miller-McIntyre (7.3), from Baskonia. He also added 11.7 points and 1.3 steals in 25 minutes per night to his service record. On five occasions he has distributed 10 or more assists, with the maximum of 13 against Alba Berlin. And this season he has delivered his best European records in terms of points, rebounds and shots in a game in his entire career.
Under Campazzo, Madrid dominated the regular phase with an iron fist ahead of Panathinaikos, Monaco and Barcelona (Olympiacos was fifth). He also improved last year’s champion version in terms of points per crash (88.2 to 85.4) and assists (20.4 to 19.1). Usually reluctant to focus the spotlight on one player, Chus Mateo has not been able to ignore the evidence of the step forward that his team has taken thanks to the 1.81m Córdoba point guard.
“Facu has given us extra ferocity, hunger, which we already had, but he has increased our desire to win. He has helped us better understand the roles that made us hesitate last year so that everyone was comfortable with his role. With Facu we have found the formula,” reasons the Madrid coach. Campazzo has put together the pieces of a puzzle that the previous season consisted of Williams-Goss and Sergio Rodríguez in the point guard position with Llull’s forays into direction. This season the roles are much more defined and the steering wheel has been assumed by a game director with many stripes.
Campazzo commands, directs, defends and connects with the giant Tavares. He is the most mature and complete version of the Argentine in his various stages in the White House (2014-15, 17-20 and 23-24), also reinforced by the learning of 138 games in the NBA between Denver and Dallas. “Physically and mentally I feel very good, with a lot of confidence. I owe it to my teammates and the coach, who lets me play my way,” reasons the white helmsman. Regarding his game, he points out: “I try to make the best decision on the court, play for whoever is on fire, have good defense, spread energy and heart. When I arrived I wanted to read what the team needed from me, from the point guard position: make the right play at the right time and defend. I like to gain confidence from defense, so that rival point guards don’t feel comfortable. I didn’t have to change the team’s way of playing nor do I force that I get an assist no matter what.”
The image of that dedication was seen in the outcome of the second Euroleague quarterfinal match against Baskonia. With the score at 101-88 and the second white victory in the series resolved with 30 seconds remaining, Facu dove to the ground three times in a row in the same play to recover the ball as if he were a soccer goalkeeper. In between, Rudy also stretched his 39 years on the track. “If he does that, how can I not do it?” asks Facu, surrendered to the example of the forward, Llull and Sergio Rodríguez, teachers from whom he will inherit command. Facing an Olympiacos team that squeezes the 24-second possession clock, Madrid will have to turn to Campazzo to decipher the formula for success.
Schedules and TV. Friday. Semifinals: Panathinaikos-Fenerbahçe, 6:00 p.m. (Movistar) and Real Madrid-Olympiacos (9:00 p.m., Movistar). Sunday. Match for third place, 5:00 p.m. (Movistar). Final, 8:00 p.m. (Movistar).
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