Real Madrid defeated Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv 98-86 at Movistar Arena on Thursday, marking its 17th consecutive home win over the Israeli squad. The victory came behind a strong second-half performance and a historic milestone for Walter Tavares.
Maccabi led 41-33 midway through the second quarter, but Real responded with a barrage of three-pointers. Facu Campazzo hit the first, followed by Andres Feliz making three consecutive threes to tie the game at 45-45, before Chuma Okeke gave the hosts a 48-47 halftime lead.
Tavares, initially limited offensively, dominated the boards in the second half. He finished with 11 rebounds, surpassing Paulius Jankunas (2,010) to become the EuroLeague’s all-time leading rebounder at 2,016.
Real Madrid’s offense was balanced, with Mario Hezonja leading the scoring with 16 points. Campazzo added 15, Tavares scored 12, Feliz contributed 12, and Trey Lyles finished with 12 points.
Maccabi’s top performers included John Dibartolomeo with 14 points, Tamir Blatt with 13, Jimmy Clark III with 11, and Iffe Lundberg with 12.
Despite early success, Maccabi converted just 4-of-18 two-point attempts in the second half (22.2%), a reflection of Real’s defensive adjustments.
Real’s defense forced 12 Maccabi turnovers and produced 11 steals, while the home team shot 14-of-29 from beyond the arc (48.3%), including 13-of-23 in the second half. Tavares’ presence in the paint also limited Maccabi’s two-point efficiency after halftime.
Real Madrid improves to 13-8 and will play its next three games at home, starting with El Clasico against FC Barcelona on January 16. Maccabi falls to 8-13 and hosts Zalgiris Kaunas next Thursday.
