EuroLeague Final 1978: Szczerbiak makes Real Madrid champion against Varese

After the first phase the regular league is played by MACCABI, REAL MADRID, VARESE, ASVEL BASKET, JUGOPLASTIKA SPLIT and ALVIK. 10 rounds will decide the first two, which will play the grand final. The Real Madrid with a balance of (7-3) finished first followed by Varese (6-4) that one more year does not lose its appointment with the final. ASVEL Basket, Maccabi and Jugoplastika had options until the end.

The final this year was held in the German city of Munich with a deserved and fair victory of Real Madrid over the Mobilgirgi, based on a strong individual defense and a wise direction of the hand of Carmelo Cabrera, «the magician» of Las Palmas. The Italian squad, very erratic throughout the match, had no arguments to counter the brilliant game madridista, and finally had to yield the continental title to the Spanish champion, who managed to overcome the Mobilgirgi as King of Europe (six titles for the whites and five for the varesinos).Real Madrid had an overwhelming start (18-8, min. 7), thanks to excellent defensive work that forced Morse and Zanatta to make forced throws and allowed ball recoveries that turned into quick counterattacks. However, the Varesinos rebounded and turned the match around with a spectacular 2-18 partial (20-26, min. 14). After the Mobilgirgi had a maximum advantage of eight points (30-38), Lolo Sáinz decided to sit Corbalán, who was not having his day, and put Cabrera on the track. The Canarian base gave a greater fluidity to the game of Real Madrid and found a perfect connection with Walter, who began to hammer the Italian hoop. The break was reached with minimal advantage of the Mobilgirgi (40-41).

In the restart there was the final emergence of Carmelo Cabrera, which was joined by the dominance in the area of Rafa Rullan, the scoring work of Wayne Brabender and a great defensive intensity of all Real Madrid. The Italian team was unable to counter the great game of Madrid, largely due to the total collapse of Bob Morse, who did not score a single point in the entire second half. The white team – always with individual defence – knew how to patiently attack the Girgi zone 2-3 until they found a good shooting position. Thus, Real Madrid began to shoot again on the scoreboard (60-51, min. 30), despite losing by personal his most accurate shooter (Walter, author of 26 points, with a magnificent series of 13 of 19). The desperate pressing of the Mobilgirgi was useless against a team that knew how to play with head in the final moments and, within the last minute, reached a maximum difference of twelve points (75-63). In the midst of the Madridistas’ final celebrations, Clifford Luyk and Vicente Ramos (who retire at the end of the season) were hoisted on shoulders by their team-mates and honoured by the white fans.