Madrid will need to come back

Real Madrid couldn't capitalize on home-court advantage in the first quarterfinal match of the League against La Laguna Tenerife, which took place at the Movistar Arena, and is now obligated to win the next two games to advance to the semifinals. Our team led the scoreboard for many minutes and had a 7-point advantage with 53 seconds remaining, but three consecutive three-pointers from the opponent, the last one with four seconds left, denied the home victory. Feliz, with 14 points and an 18 PIR, was the standout player for the team, in which Sissoko made his official debut.

A big ovation for Hezonja, who received the MVP and Best Five trophies of the League, preceded a first quarter in which Madrid grew stronger. La Laguna Tenerife started with more rhythm and accuracy from the three-point line. Abromaitis and Doonerkamp put their team ahead with a 6-11 lead by the 5th minute. Scariolo rotated the bench, and the second unit brought more defensive aggressiveness. They scored on fast breaks with Feliz and found the best options in static offense, which were Lyles (6 points with 2 three-pointers) and Yurtseven (6 points and 3 rebounds). A 20-10 run allowed our team to take the lead in these first 10 minutes, during which Sissoko made his debut with 3 points and 1 block (26-21). 

Madrid's peak and visitor reaction
Madrid extended that balance on both ends of the court in the first half of the second quarter with everyone contributing: Maledon, Krämer, and Yurtseven, to surpass the 10-point lead (40-28, min. 14). However, the third foul by the Turkish center forced him to the bench and allowed for greater visitor presence in the paint with Yebo and Abromaitis. But it was three consecutive three-pointers by the Tenerife team that brought the game back to parity and opened a stretch of back-and-forth scoring until halftime (50-48).

The start of the second half maintained the same dynamic, with Madrid taking the initiative but unable to pull away. Sissoko left a very positive impression and showcased his strength under the rim, while Deck repeatedly punished Tenerife from the post with points (9) and rebounds (7, four offensive). Yet, the visitors always found a way to stay close, whether it was with a three-pointer, an offensive rebound, or a 2+1 play, with Van Beck and Yebo dominating the offensive game (75-71, min. 30).

The first leg of the series would be true to the three previous matchups this season, which were decided in the final moments. Jaime Fernández put his team ahead for the first time since minute 7 with 5 consecutive points (77-78, min. 33). Madrid had to push hard to offset their deficit in three-point shooting today. They managed it with excellent work on offensive rebounds. Hezonja countered the points from the Tenerife shooting guard, and Lyles stretched the lead to four points with three minutes remaining (90-86).

Unpredictable finish
There was a lot of suffering ahead. A three-pointer by Abromaitis at the end of the shot clock tightened the score. Madrid regained a 5-point lead with a brilliant shot by Feliz and two great defensive plays by Deck, the last one culminating in a dunk. Two free throws by the Dominican point guard made it 96-89 with 53 seconds remaining after a 6-0 run. La Laguna Tenerife didn't give up and went all-in on three-pointers. It worked. Three in that span, the last one by Jaime Fernández with 4 seconds left, secured the victory against a Madrid team that had the final possession to change the outcome but fell short (97-98, min. 40).

Real Madrid-La Laguna Tenerife Statistics