Fuente: © FIBA (Federación Internacional de Basket)
http://www.fiba.org/

FIBA: SCG - Maljkovic hopes Euro form transfers to Spain

/noticias.info/ MADRID (Euroleague) - Real Madrid coach Bozidar Maljkovic must look forward to watching his side's appearances in Europe.

While Madrid have produced a series of irregular performances in the ACB, losing four our of their eight games to date, they have been unstoppable in the Euroleague.

Thursday night's 70-58 win over Ulker Istanbul saw Madrid make it four straight wins to put them on top of Group C with a passport into the Top-16 looking theirs for the taking.

Led by Croatian international Marko Tomas, who scored 18 points, and Frenchman Mikael Gelabale, who added a further 14 as well as pulling down eight rebounds, Madrid powered ahead in the second and third quarters and only relaxed in the final period with the game already won.

"I'd like to highlight the effectiveness we showed on rebounds and in general the attitude of the whole team," Maljkovic said.

"We got 49 rebounds and Ulker only captured 26," said Maljkovic, pleased with his side's interior play.

"That was the big difference in the game as well as Marko Tomas making a complete performance. He is a player who has to carry on like that," added the Madrid coach.

Madrid were not the only Spanish success story on a night when Unicaja Malaga and Winterthur Barcelona also chalked up important victories.

Unicaja defeated Montepaschi Sienna 82-60 to give them their second group win and leave coach Sergio Scariolo with the feeling that after two years of disappointments, it could be third time lucky for his men.

"We have to be satisfied with the intensity of the performance and the result and the feeling that this year we are competing in Europe, not as a guest or an apprentice, but as a team that knows where they are on court and is able to mark out its territory," he said.

Shammond Williams did his cause no harm as Barcelona scored a vital 65-60 win away to Prokom Trefl Sopot.

The American point guard had been singled out for criticism by coach Dusko Ivanovic, who had virtually threatened to cut him from the squad following a late technical foul and an act of indiscipline as Barca lost in Menorca at the weekend.

However, the former NBA star showed the personality Ivanovic so admires to fight back with 24 points and five rebounds to lead his side to victory.

Shooting guard Gianluca Basile, the Italian international who joined Barca in the summer, highlighted the importance of the win.

"After having lost two games already in Europe, it was important to get back with a win," he said.

"We defended well and were then able to take advantage of their mistakes to score some important point."

Euroleague results and rankings here. notas_de_prensa_archivo