BELGRADE, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Spain's Real Madrid defeated their biggest domestic league rival Barcelona 86-83 in an exciting EuroLeague Final Four semifinal encounter at Belgrade Arena on Thursday.
After Real Madrid's early lead (8-2), Barcelona managed to even the score by the end of the first quarter and gained the lead thanks to the spectacular scoring and rebounds of Nikola Mirotic.
However, Real Madrid created a quick turnaround in the third quarter, entering the final period with a four-point advantage.
Although Barcelona managed to set the score even once again at 75-75, Fabian Causeur's 5-0 run gave Real strength to win the match in a tight finish.
"This was a great game for my players. We adhered to our plan very well, we adapted fast and found solutions both in offence and in defense," said Real Madrid coach Pablo Laso afterwards.
Causeur was the most efficient in Real's team with 18 points and two assists, while Guerschon Yabusele added 18 points. Nikola Mirotic was best in Barcelona's ranks with 26 points, 12 rebounds and five assists.
In Saturday's final, Real Madrid will meet current EuroLeague champion Anadolu Efes, after the Turkish side defeated Greece's Olympiacos 77-74.
The final EuroLeague tournament had been scheduled to take place in Berlin, but was instead moved to Belgrade due to Germany's COVID-19 restrictions. ■
