By Stefan Acevski/ info@eurohoops.net
On Wednesday, Game 1 of the Basketball Champions League Quarterfinal series were on the schedule, and four teams took the lead.
Interestingly, all four teams played their matches on home courts, once again demonstrating the importance of home advantage when it comes to the final stages of the competition.
AEK and Rytas first to secure wins
At the same time, AEK and Rytas went up 1-0 in their series. We saw a great match in Athens, where the home team, after a turnaround in the final moments, defeated Joventut (87-84) with Frank Bartley’s 23 points. When it was tough, James Nunnally also shone, showcasing his experience and a wealth of crucial matches played in his career with 19 points.
Rytas defeated Nymburk at home 77-70, bringing the Lithuanians just one victory away from securing a spot in the Final Four in Badalona. This was another thriller, resolved by Jerrick Harding with 19 points, including a crucial three-pointer with 88 seconds left, giving Rytas a significant 75-68 lead.
Spaniards take the lead
Later, the two-time consecutive champion Unicaja secured a victory against ALBA Berlin, with a score of 72-69. The Germans stayed in the game and could have won at the end, but they missed several crucial possessions. The punishment came from Alberto Diaz, who took the Malaga team to an unreachable 72-67 lead with 47 seconds left.
Finally, another thrilling match was played in Spain, where Tenerife managed to defeat Galatasaray (84-83). It seemed that the hosts would secure an easier victory, as they had a 15-point lead with four minutes remaining (82-67). However, the visitors made a comeback and even had a shot for the win at the end, but James Palmer Jr. was not accurate.
The quarterfinals continue next week. On Tuesday, Nymburk will host Rytas, and Joventut will face AEK, while the next day Galatasaray will play against Tenerife, and ALBA will face Unicaja.
Quarterfinals |
Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 (*) |
| Rytas – ERA Nymburk | 77-70 | 7/4, 18:30 CET | 15/4, 18:30 CET |
| AEK – Asisa Joventut | 87-84 | 7/4, 19:30 CET | 15/4, 18:30 CET |
| La Laguna Tenerife – Galatasaray MCT Technic | 84-83 | 8/4, 19:00 CET | 15/4, 21:00 CET |
| Unicaja – ALBA Berlin | 72-69 | 8/4, 20:00 CET | 15/4, 20:30 CET |
* – if necessary
Final Four (Badalona) |
|
| Unicaja/ALBA Berlin – AEK/Asisa Joventut | 7/5, 18:00/21:00 CET |
| Rytas/ERA Nymburk – La Laguna Tenerife/Galatasaray MCT Technic | 7/5, 18:00/21:00 CET |
| Third-place game | 9/5, 17:00 CET |
| Final | 9/5, 20:00 CET |