After both Spanish teams suffered semifinal heartbreak in the Basketball Champions League—La Laguna Tenerife falling to Rytas Vilnius and Unicaja Malaga losing to AEK Athens—the two sides faced off on Saturday to decide third and fourth place.
It was a tough match to play, pitting two giants of the competition’s history against each other. Unicaja Malaga is the reigning champion of the last two editions, while La Laguna Tenerife also boasts two titles (2016-2017 and 2021-2022).
In a closely contested duel, and following news that Unicaja had opened disciplinary proceedings against Chris Duarte, the Malaga side took a slight lead at the end of the first quarter (24-22). The team from Los Guindos controlled the game until Patty Mills and Jaime Fernández began hitting from outside. However, Kalinoski scored two consecutive baskets to reduce the deficit to 41-45 at halftime.
In the second half, Perry and Balcerowski gave Ibon Navarro’s team a boost, but Vidorreta’s side, led by Mills and Van de Veck, maintained a slim advantage (60-62). In the final 10 minutes, Unicaja struck back.
Despite Fran Guerra’s dominance in the paint, Chase Audige carried the team on his back and, together with Perry, produced a decisive 25-18 run that secured third place for the Malaga side.
For Unicaja, Chase Audige stood out with 15 points and a valuation of 18, Kilian Tillie added 13 points and 6 rebounds, Tyler Kalinoski scored 12, and Olek Balcerowski chipped in 11. For La Laguna Tenerife, Patty Mills finished with 23 points, while two former Unicaja players—Gio Shermadini and Jaime Fernández—had 14 and 13 points, respectively.
Meanwhile, Lithuanian side Rytas Vilnius claimed the Basketball Champions League title by defeating Greek club AEK Athens 92-86 in the final at the Olimpic de Badalona. Top performers for Rytas Vilnius included Simonas Lukosius (23 points), Jerrick Harding (16), and Speedy Smith (11). For AEK Athens, James Nunnally scored 23, Frank Bartley added 20, and Keyshawn Feazell contributed 15.
