Real Madrid has reason to be happy: this is how they deactivated Valencia Basket's gears.

We said in the build-up to the ACB Grand Final that a Real Madrid victory was predictable if they held Valencia Basket to under 80 points. Real Madrid fulfilled this requirement, and despite their offensive struggles, their impressive defense ultimately clouded any semblance of lucidity in Valencia's offense, which is their most effective weapon.

And it wasn't exactly a Super Mario night. Furthermore, the game began with hesitation from the other pillars, Facu and Tavares. Because Madrid applied the recipe perfectly from the start: hyperactive defense, harassing the orange snipers, closing down the rebound, and in offense, looking for Tavares in the low post, given his predictable superiority against the Valencian centers, Reuvers and Soriano.

Several errors by the Cape Verdean and another collection of errors from the perimeter prevented Madrid from putting distance between them, despite their solid defense, which was beginning to unnerve the usually accurate Montero, Ojeleye, and Pradilla.

But at the end of the first quarter, the score was 19-15, and it was already clear that the final figures would be far from the usual hundred points for Pedro Martínez's men. What's more, it was clear in the air that the moment the Madridistas made shots , the matter could be resolved quickly. It wouldn't be that simple.

In fact, a second quarter of tough competition would ultimately be won by Valencia, with a miserable 16-17 scoreline, which, in any case, meant navigating unfamiliar waters for the visiting team at the Goya Coliseum. It was a pair of three-pointers from Costello, another from Puerto, and the introduction of Jones that turned the game around, and the score remained wide open at halftime.

A thrilling second half

It had to happen sooner or later, because 32 points at halftime is a statistically anomalous figure for Valencia. And that's even though some green shoots could be seen on the horizon. Meanwhile, Mateo had benched Mario , who couldn't get into the game today. Although he seems much more involved in the games, the other day cheering on his teammates, today he barely complained, keeping them to himself.

And as expected, the third quarter brightened when Brancou "El Papi" Badio finished yawning and began to play. Facu's opening three-pointer (38-32) was followed by a display by the Senegalese, who scored fifteen points almost in a row, giving his team a brief lead. A three-pointer from Pradilla made it 42-48, with 16 points in four minutes. Something more like the norm for Martínez's team.

Even so, Madrid responded no worse, finding themselves behind, adjusting their sights and also managing to sink their outside shots: two from Feliz, another from Musa, and another from Mario. A small tornado closed the quarter with a +4, which was a small advantage given what was seen on the court, where the pace of play was clearly white.

The final quarter was settled, with Valencia completely off the court, the rim sealed from both inside and out. The defensive work of the Garuba-Fernando duo was outstanding, spectacular, and even allowed Tavares ample rest. Andrés Feliz emerged as the main protagonist of the match. Madrid galloped on offense and stifled defense.

For a couple of minutes or so, Mateo's dominant team seemed to have the game under control, around +15, so the duel was a non-event until the final hugs and makeup.

At 6:30 PM, don't forget, the second match of this final play-off will begin to determine the outcome. If Madrid wins, it will be a giant step forward, of course. But a revival for the Oranges shouldn't be ruled out; they have more than enough quality to achieve it.

Once again, the same elements: the Whites' defense against the massive firepower of the Oranges. Madrid has the security of having Tavares , but also Garuba and Fernando, whose work today was excellent on the rebound and in attacking (five blocks today). The performance of the Panther of Azuqueca has been spectacular, while the Angolan will have overcome the effects of the frustration he experienced in Malaga. And he is a great center, clearly growing throughout the year.

The Madrid backcourt is in top form, despite today's low three-point percentage. Their perimeter defense is textbook. Feliz has already become a key player for the team, and Llull is experiencing a second youth in all facets of the game . The Brates are pouring in points, and Mario is the leader. If Abalde returns to his usual form, and if he's a lion on defense, Madrid will be close to the title. Incidentally, this is one of the games with the fewest losses of the year.

For Valencia, the first game of the series will be a great opportunity for Pedro Martínez to work hard , as they came off a brilliant run over Gran Canaria and La Laguna. This time they ran into the white wall.

Jean Montero's light went out, but like Mario Hezonja, anyone can have a bad game. The team's poor three-point shooting performance isn't entirely normal, with Pradilla (1 of 7), the aforementioned Montero (1 of 5), or the reliable Costello (2 of 6). So they'll have to undergo some anxiety therapy . Valencia wasn't all bad, far from it. Pradilla came close to finishing with double figures, Badio and Jones provided the mentality, although others didn't quite show their worth. Ojeleye wasn't able to impose himself at any point, which is unusual. And Sestina and Puerto barely entered the game, given the reduced rotation that Pedro Martínez ended up implementing, which is very unusual this year.

Valencia's challenge will be to improve their percentages (better than Real Madrid's today), bring back Montero without a doubt, but above all, better confront the Whites' inside game. Today, Martínez's open defense allowed a large number of easy points from tackles, turning the orange zone into a desert wasteland. And they'll also have to figure out how to compensate for their inferiority in the inside game, against the Tavares-Garuba-Fernando trio. It's hard to imagine the second game will be much like this one, to be honest. Although the essential parameters will remain the same.