Real Madrid is on a winning streak, and Pedro Martínez’s offensive machine is moving through the gears. A club-record 21 three-pointers against Maccabi Tel Aviv in Belgrade and an average of 102 points per game over the past three weeks underline the transformation.
A 0-3 start to the season raised doubts in Madrid, as it almost inevitably does when a club with Real’s expectations opens its EuroLeague campaign with three consecutive defeats. Pedro Martínez had taken over a team that needed to develop new habits and adjust to life without Mario Hezonja. The talent was certainly there, but bringing all the pieces together was never an overnight task.
A few weeks later, the picture looks very different. It is certainly more convincing, and often impressive. Madrid responded with four consecutive wins, beating Partizan (86-76), Olimpia Milan (98-89), ASVEL (111-92) and Maccabi (113-99). Its 408 points across that stretch work out at exactly 102 per game, with its offensive production rising from one outing to the next. A 4-3 record does not erase the early setbacks, but it gives the Spanish giant a calmer environment in which to work.
The high point came in Belgrade, where the visitors knocked down 21 three-pointers on 40 attempts against Maccabi. It was the highest number of made threes in the club’s EuroLeague history, achieved at a remarkable 52.5% success rate. More than half of Madrid’s points came from beyond the arc, in a performance that captured its new coach’s approach particularly clearly.
The distribution of those attempts is just as interesting as the accuracy. Madrid took 40 three-pointers and 29 two-pointers against Maccabi, with shots from beyond the arc accounting for 58% of its field-goal attempts. Shooting 12 of 29 on two-pointers did not prevent the visitors from comfortably passing the 100-point mark, as they complemented their perimeter barrage with 26 of 29 free throws. There was more than one way to punish Oded Kattash’s defense.
None of this happened overnight. Martínez is trying to introduce principles that defined Valencia last season, when he won Coach of the Year honors and took the eventual Spanish champion to the EuroLeague Final Four: quick decisions, possessions that do not necessarily use the entire shot clock, and confidence in the available perimeter shot. The Spaniard did not abandon his approach when those attempts failed to fall early in the season, maintaining his faith in the quality of his players.
The statistics explain why this discussion goes beyond one hot shooting night. Madrid is averaging 95.3 points per game, giving it the competition’s second-best scoring offense. It ranks fourth in assists (20.6 per game), fifth for fewest turnovers (11.7) and third in three-point accuracy (40.5%). Its 85.9% free-throw shooting also leads the league, adding another reliable source of points.
The relationship between those 20.6 assists and 11.7 turnovers reflects a team trying to play quickly while retaining control of its decisions. Playing fast does not have to mean rushing, something Martínez demonstrated last season, too.
Speed alone is not enough: it requires ball handlers who can identify an advantage early and teammates ready to exploit it. At Madrid, the playmaking responsibilities are shared, reducing the dependence on any one guard having a good night.
Theo Maledon averages 14.6 points and 5.6 assists, Andrés Feliz follows with 12.7 points and 4 assists, and Facundo Campazzo contributes 10.6 points and 4.4 assists. Together, the three provide 14 assists per game. Feliz is also shooting 53.3% from three-point range, with the Argentine making 42.4% of his attempts from beyond the arc.
Against Maccabi, Campazzo scored 21 points on 5-of-7 three-point shooting and posted a PIR of 28, while Feliz added 18 points, making 4 of 8 from deep. Alberto Abalde and Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot each supplied 15 points and three made triples. The scoring options therefore extended beyond the primary creators, leaving the Israeli defense with more shooters to worry about.
Luwawu-Cabarrot’s contribution was particularly significant because his overall start to the season has fallen short of his expectations. An average of 8.6 points, with 30.8% shooting on two-pointers and 31.6% on threes, leaves the former NBA player considerable room for improvement. Close to the basket, meanwhile, Edy Tavares remains the reliable option, averaging 9.7 points on 76.3% two-point shooting, along with 7.1 rebounds.
Spanish newspaper AS recently asked, “Who can stop Madrid’s record-breaking three-point shooting?”, while presenting an interesting comparison. This season’s 40.5% in the EuroLeague is above the 37.9% recorded under Sergio Scariolo and the 33.3% under Chus Mateo. In the Spanish league, the current 37.8% compares with 34.6% in 2026 and 35.7% in 2025. Different samples, certainly, but a clear indication of the direction of travel.
The next challenge is to keep the offense functioning when the three-point percentage is nowhere near 50%. Madrid, though, has already moved beyond the question of whether it can execute Martínez’s philosophy. The conversation is now about how far that approach can take it. The machine has warmed up, and it has more than one player at the controls.
