Thriller Night: Unstoppable Home Wins in Four Matches
Wednesday delivered edge-of-seat action as eight teams began their Final Four qualifying series. The night featured four home victories in tight contests. It was a true thriller night with several dramatic finishes.
AEK edges Asisa Joventut after big comeback
AEK overturned a double-digit halftime deficit to beat Asisa Joventut. Joventut played without centers Ante Tomic and Simon Birgander.
Frank Bartley dominated the third quarter to erase the gap. James Nunnally supplied late-game plays that secured the lead. RaiQuan Gray’s defense on Cameron Hunt forced a difficult attempt, and AEK closed the game at the line.
Rytas rallies past ERA Nymburk
Rytas produced a strong comeback against Czech champions ERA Nymburk. The hosts trailed by seven before swinging momentum in the second half.
Speedy Smith orchestrated Rytas’ offense and Jerrick Harding delivered a key three-pointer against his former club. A crowd of 8,037 in Vilnius gave the team a standing ovation as players left the court.
Unicaja survives ALBA Berlin in Malaga
Unicaja and ALBA met in Malaga for the first time since 2019. It marked their 14th historical pairing.
An 11-0 run put Unicaja ahead 34-29 at halftime. Justin Cobbs scored ten first-half points and hit a third-quarter triple that opened a double-digit margin. ALBA’s young guard Jack Kayil rallied in the fourth, but Kendrick Perry found Alberto Diaz for a decisive three. The defending champions lead the series 1-0.
Tenerife holds off Galatasaray in final seconds
The late game featured Patty Mills and La Laguna Tenerife against Galatasaray. Mills came off the bench and helped Tenerife build an early cushion.
Galatasaray shot 5-of-9 from three in the second quarter to lead 41-40 at the break. Tenerife then stretched the advantage to 80-63 with five minutes left. Errick McCollum sparked a furious comeback and Jerome Robinson cut the gap to 84-83 inside the last ten seconds. Tim Abromaitis missed two free throws with five minutes remaining. James Palmer Jr’s corner three at the buzzer did not fall. Tenerife won and takes a 1-0 lead as the series moves to Istanbul.
Standout performers
- Frank Bartley — key third-quarter surge for AEK.
- James Nunnally — late-game clutch plays for AEK.
- Speedy Smith — playmaker for Rytas’ comeback.
- Jerrick Harding — big three-pointer vs his former team.
- Justin Cobbs — 10 first-half points and late triple for Unicaja.
- Alberto Diaz — clutch three to seal Unicaja’s win.
- Patty Mills — early spark off the bench for Tenerife.
Filmogaz.com will continue to follow these series. Expect more drama as teams travel for Game 2. The path to the Final Four in Badalona remains wide open.
