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jun 04 2026TENERIFE. Real Madrid avoided elimination and forced a decisive third game with a commanding 83-118 victory over La Laguna Tenerife at Santiago Martín. Following their Game 1 loss and a concerning stretch of results, Sergio Scariolo's squad delivered a dominant response to level the series (1-1) and regain momentum heading into the quarterfinal conclusion.
The game started at a brisk pace with both teams trading blows. Aaron Doornekamp led Tenerife's offense in the opening minutes, while Real Madrid quickly found points through Facundo Campazzo and Mario Hezonja. The visitors showed a much more solid performance than in Game 1 and managed to stay within striking distance of the hosts. After an evenly contested first quarter, La Laguna Tenerife closed the opening ten minutes with a slight advantage (24-21).
The entry of Sergio Llull gave Real Madrid a boost in the second period. The veteran point guard provided energy and accuracy from beyond the arc, while Gaby Deck continued punishing opponents near the basket. Real Madrid began finding offensive solutions with greater consistency and also capitalized on foul trouble for the Tenerife squad to take control of the scoreboard. Three-pointers from Deck and Llull allowed the visitors to reach halftime with an advantage that was already becoming significant.
Although Jaime Fernández tried to keep Txus Vidorreta's team alive with several plays from the perimeter, the game definitively changed after halftime. Real Madrid elevated its defensive intensity and found superiority in the paint thanks to contributions from Ömer Yurtseven and Mady Sissoko. The absence of Giorgi Shermadini continued to be felt for Tenerife, unable to contain Real Madrid's physical dominance near the basket.
With Campazzo orchestrating the tempo, Hezonja punishing from multiple positions, and players like Théo Maledon, Trey Lyles, and Andrés Feliz adding to the offensive production, the white squad steadily expanded its lead and completely broke open the contest. The third quarter proved decisive and concluded with a commanding 65-85 that made any local comeback attempt an uphill battle.
The final period became a formality for a surging Real Madrid. Patty Mills tried to improve the final margin with a few three-pointers, but La Laguna Tenerife never found enough continuity to close the gap. The visitors continued scoring with ease and finished with a dominant 83-118 victory, the largest margin of these quarterfinals.
With this win, Real Madrid ends its poor run, levels the series, and forces a third game that will determine which team advances to the Liga Endesa semifinals.
