Real Madrid have stretched their winning run to ten matches across the Spanish league and EuroLeague, and Theo Maledon made the loudest contribution in Thursday’s 95–76 defeat of Fenerbahçe. The guard scored 26 points and registered a performance index rating (PIR) of 35 as Madrid pulled away in the second half at the Movistar Arena.
The result came in EuroLeague Round 9, but it was hardly a procession from the opening tip. Fenerbahçe led 24–22 after one quarter, having made Madrid work for its early looks. Facundo Campazzo changed the temperature with two first-quarter threes, then Maledon supplied nine points in a five-minute second-quarter burst. Madrid reached half-time 47–42 ahead, according to the club’s official match report.
The third quarter was the decisive stretch. Madrid held Fenerbahçe to 13 points, scored 23 itself and carried a 70–55 advantage into the last period. Its defensive work gave the offence room to breathe; the threes from Gabriele Procida, Chuma Okeke, the supporting Madrid rotation were less a shooting exhibition than the reward for forcing Fenerbahçe into uncomfortable possessions.
Fenerbahçe did not disappear. A nine-point burst early in the fourth reduced the deficit to eight at 72–64. Maledon and Andrés Feliz answered, and Madrid finished with enough composure to make the final margin look comfortable. That response matters: the home side had to steady itself against a genuine comeback, not simply protect a lead against a team already beaten.
Campazzo finished with 10 points and 10 assists, adding a PIR of 25. Walter Tavares scored 14 points with a PIR of 17. Together with Maledon, they gave Madrid three different ways to control the contest: creation, interior presence and scoring at the moments Fenerbahçe threatened to swing momentum.
There was a counterargument on the glass. El País reported that Fenerbahçe collected 20 offensive rebounds, while Will Clyburn scored 21 points. That is a hefty second-chance advantage to concede in a 19-point win. Madrid’s ability to survive it says plenty about the quality of its half-court defence and the shot-making at the other end; it also gives the coaching staff a problem worth revisiting.
For EuroLeague fantasy managers, Maledon’s PIR 35 is the eye-catching figure, but Campazzo’s ten assists and Tavares’ interior role deserve attention too. PIR is an official basketball efficiency measure, not a Buckets fantasy score. The useful takeaway is the spread of responsibilities: Maledon could finish possessions, Campazzo could organise them and Tavares could make the paint matter. Each role has a different path to repeatable production.
Madrid’s ten-game streak spans all competitions, not ten consecutive EuroLeague wins. AS’s Round 9 results also confirm the 95–76 final while other Round 9 fixtures remain to be played on Friday. For now, Madrid have a statement win over a major rival and a backcourt combination that looks increasingly difficult to contain.
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