MÁLAGA — Unicaja defeated ALBA Berlin 72-69 in the first game of the Basketball Champions League quarterfinals, taking a series lead after a thrilling finish decided by Alberto Díaz's three-pointer with 47 seconds remaining. The Málaga side defended home court and moves closer to the Final Four in Badalona.
The matchup began with tight competition between Unicaja and ALBA Berlin, with both teams trading leads throughout much of the first quarterfinal game of the Basketball Champions League. The Spanish side found its primary offensive weapon in Aleksander Balcerowski, who led the team with 15 points.
Justin Cobbs also contributed on offense with 13 points, and Killian Tillie added 10, allowing Unicaja to maintain control of the game during several stretches.
Unicaja's greatest dominance came in the fourth quarter. The Málaga side opened up a 12-point lead (64-52) that appeared to put the game out of reach against ALBA Berlin in this Basketball Champions League series.
However, the German team responded and tightened the score in the final minutes. ALBA Berlin had several possessions to take the lead, but poor execution on crucial shots ultimately cost them. That's when Alberto Díaz stepped up, hitting the game's decisive three-pointer with 47 seconds remaining to make it 72-67.
The game had one final twist. Kendrick Perry missed two free throws with five seconds left to play, giving ALBA Berlin one last chance. However, the German side failed to secure the defensive rebound on the final possession, allowing Unicaja to seal the 72-69 victory.
For the German side, Jack Kayil led the way with 19 points, while Justin Bean contributed 11. Martin Hermansson had a complete game with 9 points and 9 assists, but it wasn't enough to prevent ALBA Berlin's defeat in this first quarterfinal matchup of the Basketball Champions League.
With this result, Unicaja takes a 1-0 series lead in the Basketball Champions League quarterfinals, a best-of-three series. The second game will be played next Wednesday in Berlin, where ALBA Berlin will look to even the series and force a decisive third game for a spot in the Final Four.