BCL: AEK Athens Denies Badalona a Home Final Four, Tenerife Completes the Bracket
The Basketball Champions League (BCL) Final Four is now complete. Following Rytas Vilnius and Malaga last week, AEK Athens and Tenerife clinched their spots in the third legs of the quarterfinals. Joventut will therefore miss out on hosting a home Final Four, despite their heavy investment in bringing back Ricky Rubio and signing Jabari Parker.
Drama in Athens, Dominant Display in Tenerife
AEK Athens experienced an intense evening against Joventut Badalona. After losing Game 2 by 22 points (66-88), Dragan Sakota’s team absolutely had to win at home to avoid elimination. In a dramatic contest, the Greeks relied on clutch shots from Bartley and Katsivelis to win 72-67 and defend their home court.
The situation was very different in Spain, where Tenerife gave Galatasaray no chance. After narrowly losing Game 2 (62-64), the Canary Islanders put on an offensive showcase from the opening tip. Building a massive lead by halftime, Tenerife crushed their Turkish opponents by a decisive score of 99-59, a 40-point margin.
Final Four Matchups Are Set
The final tournament will take place in Badalona from May 7 to 9, with semifinals that promise to be exciting. Malaga will face AEK Athens on May 7 at 6:00 PM, while Rytas Vilnius will take on Tenerife the same day at 9:00 PM.
Rytas and Malaga had already secured their spots in just two legs. The Lithuanians dominated Nymburk (77-70, 70-69), while Unicaja eliminated ALBA Berlin (72-69, 88-85). The third-place game will be held on Saturday, May 9 at 5:00 PM, followed by the final at 8:00 PM to crown the new Basketball Champions League champion.
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