Okay guys, buckle up because this was way more involved than I originally thought when I decided to dive into the EuroLeague stats this week. Wanted to really understand what made Real Madrid and Panathinaikos tick in their last matchup.
First thing, you know how it is, settled down after dinner. Grabbed my laptop, a cold drink – essential fuel – and fired up the browser. Searched for the official EuroLeague stats website. Needed the raw numbers, you know? No shortcuts. Found the match center section, pinpointed that specific Real Madrid vs. Panathinaikos game.
Just looking at the final score doesn’t tell you squat. So, I printed out the full box score. Yeah, old school paper. Easier for my eyes to jump around and connect things. My desk ended up covered in paper with circles, arrows, and question marks scribbled everywhere.
Started simple: who scored the most points? For Real, it wasn’t a huge surprise – Walter Tavares was a monster near the basket. Points are flashy, though. What really grabbed my attention were the rebounds. I mean, seriously, look at these numbers:
- Tavares: 14 rebounds? FOURTEEN?!
- Sergio Llull: Those veteran smarts show in his timing, 5 assists pulling the strings.
- Facundo Campazzo: Always buzzing. Led Real in steals, disrupting everything Panathinaikos tried.
Alright, felt pretty good about the Real guys. Pivoted to Panathinaikos. Needed to see who really carried the load for them. Scanned down the list. There he was: Kendrick Nunn. His points jumped out immediately – carrying a massive offensive load for Panathinaikos. But looking closer?
Matt Costello on the boards! Battled hard for every loose ball, ended up with 10 rebounds against that Real giants. Then Ioannis Papapetrou – crucial glue guy working everywhere. His activity showed everywhere.
Halfway through, hit a wall. Seeing players individually wasn’t showing how they played together. Needed team stats. Dug into those team totals: shot percentages from two-point range, three-pointers, free throws… Turnovers were a killer stat here. Real kept theirs relatively low, Panathinaikos lost the ball a bit more. That adds up fast against a team like Madrid.
Realized I needed to understand the impact beyond scoring. Went hunting for +/- stats for key players. How does the score change when they are actually on the floor? Cross-referenced the plus-minus with the minutes played. Interesting patterns popped up. Some big names weren’t always net positives when their team was struggling defensively during their court time.
By this point, my printed sheets were a total disaster zone of highlighter ink and scribbles. Took a step back. What actually stood out? It wasn’t just one superstar doing everything – even though Nunn tried hard! It was crucial pieces fitting roles: Tavares anchoring Real, Nunn the scoring engine for PAO, the hustle guys like Costello and Llull making vital plays without needing the ball constantly.
Spent way longer than planned on this, truth be told. Brain felt fried looking at all these numbers. Finally, boiled it down: Real’s core strength showed through in control – better rebounding, taking care of the ball, multiple threats. Panathinaikos leaned heavily on Nunn and needed every hustle play from guys like Costello to stay competitive. Makes sense looking back at the final outcome!
Would I do this deep dive for every game? Probably not without more coffee. But it definitely peeled back the layers on how teams win, beyond just the scoreboard.
