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Real remember bad experiences from the last season

Canarias celebrated in Madrid, scoring 96 points against Real, and had 10 points difference in their own arena in the final moments of the game. Real are coming only two days after a difficult game in Milano

Real had huge difficulties against the then rookies of the league last season. They turned 10 points difference in the final moments of the game on Canaries, and won thanks to Rudy Fernandez score (88-86), while Canarias surprised them big time in Madrid, taking advantage of Real's focus on the Euroleague at that moment. They won 96-83. Today, Madrid team come without any training, directly from Milano where they continued the big series and defeated the Italian dandies a lot more convincingly than the final result would suggest, 78-71. There were moments with 20 points difference, with the top role of Sergio Rodriguez.

Canarias lost four out of last five games, and even the only one they won, at home against Brues, was difficult and barely done (76-75). Even though they kept the team almost the same as the last year, they're not at the same level. At least they don't seem to be at the moment. 

- I think there's no bigger motivator than to play against Real, against Barca, or other Euroleague clubs - home coach Alejandro Martinez pointed out. His team played against the Euroleague club last week, in Malaga, and were losing 48-34 in the first half-time, and all the way until the end of the game without any realistic chances.

Unicaja took away their jump (46-28), and the three-pointer shots (5/20), two of the very important segments of the offensively oriented Canarias. Without it, and with 17 lost balls, they stood no chance. 

- Our team were complete last season in both games against Real, and we could train regularly, now we can't.

Lampropoulos is out since the beginning of the season, and Juanpio Gutierrez has been out for a while now. 

- We won on their court last season, and were close to winning here. We plan the same this season, but it's not all up to us, Real should also have a bad day. 

Canarias' biggest challenge is the fact that Real improved a lot defensively compared to last year, and no one in the Euroleague scored more than 76 points against them, while they only conceded more than that once in the ACB league, in the away game against Murcia (88-81).

They're coming here without the first center Bourousis, who didn't play in Milano, either. Pablo Laso sent Mejrio to the starting five, and the Tunisian scored 10 points and 7 jumps in only 14 minutes. Marcus Slaughter got the most minutes, 23. The Italians took away the jump, though, (34-40), but Real's defense were simply brilliant, leaving the home team to 40% shots for two points, and 29% for three. If not for the fall in the last quarter (15-25), they'd won with more than 10 points difference, and convincingly. 

- This is one of those matches where, if you're not careful and ready to play the top level, you can suffer a lot. I hope we can recoup quickly after the game in Milano - coach Laso stated. 

Real got pretty burned last season against Canarias, losing at home, and saving the game here after the -10 in the last period. I'm convinced they'll show who's the boss from the first moment on the court today, just like they did in almost all the games this season. I'll try my luck with the half-time handicap. Real are at 8-0 in the ACB league, and five out of those eight, they were leading convincingly at the half-time, with a lot more than today's handicap (6,5). Their numbers are even more impressive in the Euroleague, also 8-0, but there they had more than 6 at the half-time in 7 games, and the only one where they didn't was against Bamberg, where they had 5 points difference. Euroleague games are a good indicator of the right approach, and because of their experience with Canarias, that's the kind of approach I expect today, since Real are even better this season, and Canarias are a bit worse, and with their series of four defeats in the last five rounds, this shot has to be taken. The bet is widely available, and during the day, Pinnacle will come out with the analyses for the half-times and the quarters...