Real Madrid defeated Varese by coming back to win all three of their preseason games. The Whites defeated the Italians’ impressive three-point shooting in the last quarter of the Ciutat de Maó Tournament. They won their third game during this preparatory phase, and Hezonja, Tavares, and Musa were the main players in the last moments of the match. The spectators honored Llull, who had returned to his hometown, with a standing ovation at halftime.
With tremendous intensity, both teams entered the floor. Hezonja’s eight points gave Madrid the lead early on, but Varese did not back down and pushed for three points (14–12; minute 5). Italians led 22–16 at the end of the first quarter thanks to some inspired outside shooting from Hands and Harris.
The effectiveness of the guests
In the second quarter, the tempo remained constant. The Italian squad started to get distance on the scoreboard (29–35) since they were quite at ease shooting from outside the field in addition to their defensive efforts. With their fast transitions, Tavares and Musa kept The Whites in the game, but Varese’s three-point shooting was more effective, and they led 36-43 at the half.
After the intermission, Varese maintained their recent winning streak, securing their largest lead to date (41-49; min. 24). The Tavares-Musa combination grabbed center stage once more to keep Real Madrid competitive and narrow the margin (50-53: minute 27). The third quarter concluded 56-58 as both sides’ fatigue subsided and the scoring tempo dropped.
Return of Madrid
Varese maintained their lead on the scoreboard, but Madrid resisted the opposition’s assaults and fought back to win the match (62–66; minute 35). With back-to-back three-pointers, Hands once again widened the advantage. With two minutes remaining in the game, Hezonja answered by making two more three-pointers to tie the score (76-79). Tavares signed his name to the
