Kosner Baskonia now knows what it's like to lose in Liga Endesa. Head coach Velimir Perasovic's team, which arrived as undefeated co-leaders, fell on the road at La Laguna Tenerife (82-77) after squandering a six-point lead in the fourth quarter. With this defeat and Río Breogán's loss in Andorra, Real Madrid remains the only team with a perfect record. For Baskonia, it's also the sixth consecutive game without a win, counting EuroLeague play.
A Baskonia in Control
The game started in Tenerife's favor, with the home team posting a strong first quarter (25-18) with Kyle Guy setting the pace. Baskonia, without Kobi Simmons (head trauma) and Chris Duarte (right thigh muscle injury), both injured in Bologna, bounced back in the second quarter and reached halftime down just three points (39-36).
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The third quarter belonged to the Vitoria team. Matteo Spagnolo, the team's leading scorer with 15 points, and a very active Tadas Sedekerskis on the boards sustained a 15-24 run, and Baskonia entered the fourth quarter with a lead (54-60). It seemed Perasovic's team was going to make a winning debut in this new stage.
Guy and Hunter's Fourth Quarter
It didn't happen that way. Tenerife came out with a different gear in the fourth quarter and won it 28-17. Guy, who finished with 24 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists on 8-of-13 shooting from two-point range, punished the Vitoria defense time and again. Hunter contributed 15 points with plenty of work near the basket, and the experience of Bruno Fitipaldo and Marcelinho Huertas running the offense did the rest. Baskonia, which had seen six lead changes on the scoreboard, had no answer in the decisive minutes.
There was also a family duel on the court: the Kurucs brothers faced off, Arturs with Tenerife and Rodions with Baskonia.