Real Madrid didn’t get the comfortable script you’d expect from a 22-2 team in five-game form, but it got the result. Behind a dominant middle two quarters and a sharp ball-movement advantage, Madrid held off MoraBanc Andorra 97-90 on Sunday at Movistar Arena.
Andorra, entering at 6-18, landed the first punch with 30 points in the opening quarter, then matched it with another 30 in the fourth. Madrid’s answer came where good teams typically separate: the second and third quarters, a 57-30 combined edge that flipped the game and ultimately decided it.
The game in one swing: Madrid’s second- and third-quarter avalanche
Andorra’s 30-18 first quarter could have tilted the night, but Madrid immediately recalibrated. The home side won the second quarter 29-17, erasing the deficit with pace, spacing, and cleaner decision-making.
Then came the knockout stretch: a 28-13 third quarter that turned a tight game into a two-possession-plus cushion. Over those 20 minutes, Madrid’s offense looked organized and connected, repeatedly generating looks through the pass rather than settling.
Late push, but Madrid closes
Andorra wasn’t done—far from it. Another 30-point fourth quarter made the finish uncomfortable and kept Madrid’s margin under pressure into the final minutes. But Madrid’s earlier work held up. Even with the late scoring burst, Andorra couldn’t fully undo the damage from the middle quarters.
Ball movement tells the story
The clearest separator was creation quality. Real Madrid finished with 27 assists to Andorra’s 18, a gap that reflected more than just passing volume. Madrid consistently played advantage basketball—moving the defense, forcing rotations, and turning possessions into higher-quality outcomes.
Andorra, by contrast, had to lean on shot-making to stay attached, especially in the first and fourth quarters. When the game demanded sustained execution across multiple possessions, Madrid’s structure and connectivity won out.
What it means going forward
For Real Madrid, the win reinforces the profile of a top-tier ACB contender: even when the opponent spikes two 30-point quarters, Madrid can still win by controlling the game’s most important stretch and leaning on elite offensive organization. At 22-2 with five straight wins, Madrid continues to bank results while stress-testing its late-game composure.
For MoraBanc Andorra, the night was a reminder of the margin for error. The scoring ceiling was real, but the 17-point second quarter and 13-point third quarter were too damaging to overcome. Against a team that punishes lapses with precision, the gaps between hot stretches become decisive.