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Real Madrid easy winners of Euroleague basketball crown

Xinhua, May 18, 2015 Adjust font size:

Real Madrid's basketball team gave some compensation to followers of the club when they defeated Olympiacos Piraeus 78-59 to win the Final Four of the Euroleague.

The win came just after an hour after FC Barcelona's football team had won in the Vicente Calderon Stadium in order to assure the BBVA Primera Liga title.

It is the ninth time that Real Madrid have won the maximum title in European basketball and they were able to do so in front of their own fans in the Spanish capital.

The side coached by the experienced Pablo Laso were able to overcome a poor start which saw them trail 19-15 to the Greeks at the end of the first quarter.

However, a strong fightback in the second quarter in which they scored 20 points to just nine from their rivals saw them go in seven points ahead at halftime.

The third quarter was even, but in the last 10 minutes and with the home fans scenting victory, Real Madrid blew their rivals off court, netting 25-points to 13 to assure their 19 point margin of victory.

Jonas Mariculis was Madrid's standout player with nine points and seven rebounds, but overall it was an outstanding team performance in which every one of Laso's players made a vital contribution. Endi