ESP - Granada brushed aside by Real Madrid

MADRID (ACB) - Real Madrid failed in their ACB title defense last season but the early evidence suggests they will could return to the top in 2006-07.

They continue to set the early pace in the league a ACB after making it two wins from two on Sunday with a 91-78 triumph over CB Granada.

A week after stunning defending champions Unicaja Malaga, the new-look Real side saw off the challenge of Granada at the Palacio Municipal De Deportes with relative ease.

A decent start to the match saw Real open up a six-point lead after the first period at 21-15, and although Granada narrowly won the next two quarters, the visitors were much the stronger in the final period to take the 13-point win.

Louis Bullock top-scored for Real with 18 points, while Belgian international Axel Hervelle added 16 points and six rebounds.

For Granada, Slovenian ace Samo Udrih led all scorers with 21 points, but it was not enough to prevent his side from slumping to a second successive defeat.

They are kept off the bottom of the table, though, by a Unicaja side that won last year's title but then said good-bye to Spanish superstar Jorge Garbajosa and Argentininian international Walter Herrmann.

Both left for the NBA, and Unicaja are struggling to find their feet with Bruesa GBC stunning them at home on Saturday.

Real are one of six teams who have 100% records after the first two rounds.

Second-placed TAU Ceramica, Akasvayu Girona and MMT Estudiantes all won on Saturday, while Gran Canaria Grupo Dunas and Etosa Alicante both claimed victories on Sunday.

Gran Canaria upset Winterthur FC Barcelona 74-71 and Etosa, who beat Barca last weekend, downed Lagun Aro Bilbao Basket 87-85.

Barca´s second league loss in a row will come as a major blow to morale following their historic friendly win over the Philadelphia 76ers earlier this week. That triumph over the Sixers was the first for a European team against an NBA side in Europe.

Hungary international Kornel David paced Gran Canaria with a game-high 15 points, while Senegal ace Sitapha Savane missed only two shots all night as he contributed 13 points and eight rebounds.

Jaka Lakovic scored 14 points for Barca and FIBA World Championship gold medalist Juan Carlos Navarro added 13.

Pamesa Valencia have also lost their opening two games, falling 76-67 loss at Polaris World CB Murcia while in Sunday´s other game, ViveMenorca beat Caja San Fernando 83-74.

From Mike Perez, PA Sport, Madrid

Exclusively for FIBA