How Chus Mateo countered Zeljko and sent the series back to Madrid / News - Basketnews.com

BasketNews expert Augustas Suliauskas takes a look at four key adjustments, including Zone defense and neutralizing Alen Smailagic, that Chus Mateo made in Games 3 and 4.

Credit: Angel Martinez/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images Credit Angel Martinez/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images

Partizan Belgrade and Real Madrid are playing a quarterfinals series that is much more than just basketball.

Player of the Game EFF 30 Walter Tavares Points 15 Accuracy 4-7 Rebounds 7 Assists 0

A brawl in Game 2 completely changed the rotations and ignited Partizan fans everywhere. A tragic school shooting just a couple of days later reminded that some things are much more important.

If Zeljko Obradovic's tactics played a huge role in Partizan's success over the first two games, Chus Mateo came to Belgrade prepared to respond.

And even if it took quite long for the Spanish coach to adapt, kudos to him and his coaching staff for realizing what changes had to be made. Let's go over the 4 main adjustments from Real Madrid.

Zone Defense

First introduced by Chus Mateo in the second half of Game 2, the 2-3 zone defense was the primary catalyst behind two away wins for Madrid.

After the positive impact it gave in the second game of the series, Mateo trusted it way more in Belgrade to confuse Partizan's offensive rhythm. All season long, Zeljko's team has been #1 in the offensive rating category as smart set plays and their correct timing have been an impossible task to solve for most teams.

In two possessions versus individual defense, Partizan quickly scored 5 points. Mateo then instructed his team to go zone again. The result? 3 empty attacks in a row, again regaining the slight advantage for Madrid.

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