Friday, May 9, 2025, 18:43
He Galatasaray Turco eliminated the Tenerife lagoon This Friday in the semifinals (80-90), with comeback included and a double-double of 21 points and ten rebounds of the pivot ebuka Izundu, So he will play the FIBA Champions League final (BCL) this Sunday against the winner of the tie between Unicaja and Aek Athens in the Sunnel Arena de Athens (Greece).
The Canarian team, who sought to get back in the final for the fourth time in its history, did not set a good game from the outer shot (20’6% of success). He arrived with experience in final phases, as undefeated this season and was hungry in his sixth participation in search of his third title, but Galatasaray won with more energy, more physical and much faith.
Faced with doubts in attack, the mid -distance emerged from Marcelinho Huertas, the best of the islanders with 18 points, and the presence of Shermadini under the basket, who did not have the prolific afternoon of his career.
Equality (24-20) was established in the first quarter, but the first important rent came at the beginning of the second act, with 36-22 for a Tenerife that began to feel unwavering. A feeling that would have a radical turn later.
The plain became a steep mountain for the aurinegros, who had their worst day at the worst moment. With the quality of James Palmer Jr, Galatasaray began to attack better, but the change of chip coincided with the entrance of the Turkish wing Sadik Emir Kabaka, key beyond the numbers.
They have many variants, weapons of all kinds and competitiveness rather than proven, because the ‘Galata’ already beat Unicaja in Istanbul a few months ago, when they cut the streak of 18 consecutive victories of the Malaga in the BCL, historical record of the competition.
Before the break, the turning point would arrive, the beginning of the end to Tenerife: a tremendous part of the Turks stopped the lagoon, who won 40-25 found 41-37, perfect example of the hardness and surprise factor of these finals.
After the break, the film got worse, because the rhythm was imposed by Galatasaray, which turned the game in the third quarter, basket to basket, with an overwhelming gale: the scorer Lucía 49-59 to the Ecuador of the third quarter and the partial of the entire room was 12-24 in favor of the Turks. Txus Vidorreta’s disappointment gestures from the bench explained everything.
-Tenerife should wake up, a reliable team always, more this season, where I had not known the defeat in BCL, and had to do it before a plugged team, which went to the last ten minutes winning nine points.
But the possessions followed and continued against the ropes, highly surpassed in the defense of the rebound, with former ACB Ángel Delgado doing a lot of damage, Will Cummings contributing many points (21) and, above all, the inner power of Ebuka Izundu, author of 21 points, ten rebounds and 28 valuation.
A blow already insurmountable, although they rowed in the last minutes to make up the result until the definitive 80-90. There will be, therefore, a Spanish final in Athens such as last year in Belgrade. The last bullet is unicaja in the second semifinal against the hosts of the AEK.
Data Sheet:
80- La Laguna Tenerife (24+19+12+25): Huertas (18), fitipaldo (7), kramer (4), doornekamp (4), shermadini (11) -Quinteto inicial- jaime fernández (2); Scrubb (11), kostadinov (0), badji (4), costa (12), abromaitis (7).
90-Galatasay (20+20+24+26): Palmer Jr (15), Cummings (21), Young (8), Delgado (7), Koksal (2) -Wallace (3), Kabaca (5), Blumbergs (2), Izundu (21), Tuncher (6).
Referees: Ademir zurapovic, yohan rosso y gvidas gedvilas.
Incidents: Match corresponding to the first semifinal of the FIBA Champions League, played at the Sunnel Arena de Athens.
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