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jun 02 2026MADRID. La Laguna Tenerife struck first in the Liga Endesa quarterfinals, defeating Real Madrid 97-98 at the Movistar Arena. A three-pointer by Jaime Fernández with 4.4 seconds remaining capped a spectacular comeback by the Canary Islands team and gave them the road victory, leaving Real Madrid needing to win in Tenerife to stay alive.
Txus Vidorreta's team started the game strong, taking advantage of Real Madrid's early offensive struggles. The visitors found success near the basket and maintained small leads throughout the first quarter as the home team took time to find their rhythm.
Real Madrid's response came through Théo Maledon and Trey Lyles. Two consecutive three-pointers allowed Sergio Scariolo's team to turn the score around and shift the game's momentum. As the minutes progressed, the home team also found production in the paint thanks to Ömer Yurtseven and built a twelve-point lead during the second quarter.
However, La Laguna Tenerife never lost touch with the game. Marcelinho Huertas orchestrated his team with precision and found answers in players like Thomas Scrubb and Aaron Doornekamp to keep the visitors' hopes alive. At halftime, Real Madrid's lead was minimal (50-48).
After the break, the game remained extremely tight. Wesley Van Beck took on offensive responsibility for the visitors while Gaby Deck and Maledon sustained Real Madrid's production. Neither team could break away, and the third quarter ended with a close 75-71 advantage for the home team.
La Laguna Tenerife stepped up at the start of the final period. Jaime Fernández appeared with two crucial three-pointers to put the visitors ahead and force Real Madrid into a tense finish.
Despite this, the home team seemed to have secured victory when Andrés Feliz and Gaby Deck sparked a run that put the score at 96-89 with just over a minute remaining. But the game had one final twist in store.
A three-pointer by Jaime Fernández gave the visitors hope. Moments later, a block by Tim Abromaitis led to another possession that Aaron Doornekamp converted into a three-pointer to make it 96-95 with just fourteen seconds left.
Lyles made only one of his two free throws, leaving the door open for a comeback. On the final possession, Jaime Fernández took full responsibility, created space against Alberto Abalde, and nailed a spectacular three-pointer to make it 97-98 with 4.4 seconds remaining.
Real Madrid had one last chance after a timeout, but Mario Hezonja's final shot missed the mark and the victory went to Tenerife.
With this win, La Laguna Tenerife takes a 1-0 series lead and will have an opportunity to close out the series in front of their home crowd, while Real Madrid is forced to respond to avoid an early elimination.
