Unicaja Claims Spanish Showdown, Finishes Third in BCL (85-80)

Unicaja Málaga secured third place in the Basketball Champions League with an 85-80 victory over La Laguna Tenerife. Following Thursday's semifinal elimination, the two Spanish teams delivered an entertaining matchup, with Unicaja's balanced attack standing out—eleven players scored in the game. Chase Audige led the Málaga side with 15 points. Tenerife, coached by Txus Vidorreta, felt the absence of Marcelinho (ruled out) and Giedraitis (injury) despite a solid performance. Patty Mills' 23 points proved insufficient for the island club.

The game started at a frenetic pace. Everything that neither team managed to convert in the semifinals turned into success this afternoon. A tightly contested matchup, as reflected in the early minutes (12-12 at the 5-minute mark). Both Ibón Navarro and Txus Vidorreta gave minutes to players who didn't see action on Thursday. Killian Tillie (7 points) was the standout performer at this stage.

Past the midpoint of the first quarter, La Laguna Tenerife, thanks to two three-pointers from Patty Mills and Thomas Scrubb, pulled away (12-18 at the 7-minute mark). Ibón called a timeout to stop Tenerife's run.

The timeout worked. The Málaga squad was more disciplined on defense and sharp on offense. A mid-range basket from Alberto Díaz put Unicaja ahead 24-22. The Málaga team had turned the game around just before the end of the first quarter.

The second quarter remained tightly contested. Unicaja maintained control, but by the slimmest of margins (31-30 at the 15-minute mark). By this point, nine Málaga players had already scored.

However, if anyone had a hot hand, it was Australian Patty Mills (14 points). The former San Antonio Spurs player was on fire, and thanks to two three-pointers from the Aussie, Tenerife regained the lead on the scoreboard (34-40 at the 17-minute mark).

Unicaja called another timeout to slow Tenerife's momentum. Following a mid-range basket from Alberto Díaz, the teams went into halftime. La Laguna Tenerife led by four (41-45 at the 20-minute mark). There was still plenty of basketball to be played at the Olímpic.

The start of the second half belonged to Unicaja. Ibón Navarro's team came out with an extra level of intensity compared to La Laguna Tenerife. Oleg Balcerowski (10 points) dominated the paint (54-50 at the 25-minute mark), and Unicaja, on a 13-5 run, took the lead.

Txus Vidorreta called his team to order, and they regained their composure. In a flash, with some excellent minutes from Jaime Fernández (9 points and 4 assists), Tenerife answered with a 12-2 run. The island team had regained the initiative (56-62 at the 28-minute mark).

In the final quarter, both teams raised their level and the pace increased. With five minutes remaining, the score was tied at 72, and anything could happen. The game in this stretch was a treat for the spectators. A Mills layup on one end was answered by a Kendrick Perry three-pointer on the other.

A three-pointer from James Webb III and solid defense from Oleg Balcerowski provided the decisive push for Unicaja to secure the victory. A 5-0 run with one minute remaining proved decisive (82-77 at the 39-minute mark). Tenerife felt the absence of Marcelinho and Giedraitis down the stretch, and Unicaja sealed the win from the free-throw line. The Málaga squad won 85-80 and clinched third place in this Basketball Champions League in Badalona.