Sergio Rodriguez and Sergio Llull discussed spectacular Real Madrid's comeback against Partizan, showing once again that the old guard of Rodriguez, Llull, and Rudy Fernandez still has plenty to offer for such a big club.
11 minutes. That's how long it took for Real Madrid to make a decisive push towards the EuroLeague Final Four in a crucial Game 5 against Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade.
| Player of the Game | |
|
EFF
26
|
| Sergio Rodriguez | |
| Points | 19 |
| Accuracy | 8-11 |
| Rebounds | 3 |
| Assists | 6 |
And it wasn't Edy Tavares, Dzanan Musa, Mario Hezonja, or any other usual suspect. It was the members of the old guard – Sergio Rodriguez, Sergio Llull, and Rudy Fernandez.
With 1:36 left in the third quarter, Dante Exum made a 3-pointer, extending Partizan's lead to 15 points. The last hope for Real Madrid seemed to have vanished as the Serbian powerhouse resisted Los Blancos' run.
However, the legendary Spanish trio had other thoughts.
Everything started with Fernandez's hustle. After the jump ball between Zach LeDay and Mario Hezonja with 1 minute left in the 3rd, the 38-year-old dived without hesitation to keep the ball in play.
Seconds later, such a dedication was rewarded with a 3-pointer from Chacho.
Just before the 3rd quarter ended, Fernandez suffered what seemed like a dislocated shoulder injury. Rudy didn't eliminate himself from the game. He asked the team doctor to place his shoulder back in place and returned to the game in the 4th quarter.
"He doesn't score points, and he's still the best. It's incredible," Dzanan Musa said after the game.
Meanwhile, Rodriguez wasn't scoring for basically the whole series, but those 11 minutes were some sight to see.
In the first 189 minutes of the series, Rodriguez had
