Real Madrid arrived at the Buesa Arena as the favorite and left with a convincing 86-104 road win over Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, a result built on superior shooting efficiency and control of the boards rather than any single explosive stretch. The visitors never allowed the hosts to settle into a rhythm, and the final margin reflects a performance that was quietly dominant on both ends of the floor.
The most telling number of the night was Real Madrid's two-point shooting. The visitors converted 37 of 73 field goal attempts, a 50.7% clip, while Baskonia managed just 30 of 68, or 44.1%. That gap of roughly six and a half percentage points on identical volume tells the story of the game: both teams generated looks, but only one team made them count. From beyond the arc the difference was even sharper. Real Madrid hit 12 of 29 three-pointers at 41.4%, while Baskonia connected on only 8 of 23 at 34.8%. Those four extra made threes alone account for 12 points, nearly the entire final margin.
The free-throw line added another layer. Baskonia were efficient there, making 18 of 22 for 81.8%, but Real Madrid earned far more trips, attempting 27 and making 18. The hosts' 24 personal fouls kept sending Madrid to the stripe and disrupted any chance of building defensive momentum. On the glass, Real Madrid's 41 rebounds to Baskonia's 34, including a 10-7 edge on the offensive boards, gave the visitors extra possessions and second-chance points that steadily widened the gap.
Tactically, the game was decided by ball movement and care. Real Madrid recorded 22 assists against 12 turnovers, a clean ratio that reflects patient half-court execution and a willingness to find the open man. Baskonia managed 17 assists but coughed the ball up 15 times, and Real Madrid's 7 steals turned several of those into transition points. The hosts did protect the rim well with 5 blocks, matching Madrid's 5, but that rim protection came at the cost of fouls and did little to slow the visitors' perimeter attack.
For anyone weighing Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz vs Real Madrid betting odds ahead of tip-off, this performance underlined why expert tips leaned toward the visitors: Madrid's efficiency, rebounding edge and low turnover count are the profile of a team built for road wins. The scoreline is fair, not flattering. Baskonia competed on the boards and at the line, but when the decisive metric is simply who makes more shots, the answer on this night was clear, and who will win the rematch will depend on whether Baskonia can close that shooting gap.
