Real Madrid's fantastic week in Athens: the 'brates' also dominate Panathinaikos

Real Madrid's Greek week, an apparent trap along the way, turned out to be another coup of authority for this amazing team at the dawn of the season defending the European crown. He won in Piraeus on Tuesday and won at OAKA last night, again with those brates (Hezonja and Musa) who are pure talent as the spearhead of the Euroleague leader, a train launching that not even Ergin Ataman managed to stop. [78-90: Narration and statistics]

37 points for Hezonja and 37 for Musa. The Croatian is unstoppable against Panathinaikos, nine triples in two nights for the Bosnian. An increasingly involved couple, Madrid increasingly theirs, ready to mark an era. They have plenty of quality for it and the contagion with the penultimate dances of Llull, Rudy and company can be fundamental for their careers.

Panathinaikos was its umpteenth victim. Ataman tried to propose to Madrid a battle of high pace, contacts and intensity, to push to the limit a team that has been spreading terror and that only Fenerbahce has managed to stop, last week. But the white success appeased the local ardor, the efforts of Mitoglou and the first brushstrokes of Nunn. When Hezonja first appeared in what was his home (and he is still very loved, he even asked for forgiveness) everything changed, such is his influence, the moment of a superlative player. After two triples from Llull, Chus Mateo's men were nine up.

One could conclude that they had lowered their hand to OAKA, but nothing could be further from the truth. In that first crisis, an even more aggressive Panathinaikos emerged, taking advantage of Tavares's absence to strike a tremendous run of 17-2, with Lessort beating Poirier, and a completely unleashed Kendrick Nunn, showing the dimension of a guy who was important in the NBA and seeks, like so many, a European redemption. Only a last effort by Hezonja and a basket at the buzzer by Campazzo maintained the white lead at halftime.

And, as always, those small details are key. A squeeze in time. Upon returning, the PAO tried to continue pushing, but in the face of talent, nothing can be done. Two triples from Musa anticipated the storm. In the hottest moment, Madrid left the greens without scoring for six minutes, a run of 1-22 to kill the night, to remain at the top of a Euroleague that they overwhelmingly dominate.

In three days, between Hezonja and Musa – wonderfully accompanied last night by the power of Tavares and Deck – they have scored 74 points to silence Athens.