Unicaja Claims Another Close Victory Against Tenerife

Unicaja and Tenerife, two teams destined to meet in recent editions of the Copa del Rey, saw the Malaga side emerge victorious this time, just like in the 2023 Badalona final. They halted Barça's conqueror and thus completed the revenge for last year's quarter-final clash at Carpena, which the island team won, knocking out the host.

Yankuba Sima, the standout name in the close victory with 21 points and 8 rebounds, dominated the paint until he passed the baton to his teammate Kravish. Unicaja's superiority under the hoops allowed for the first green surge on the scoreboard.

Meanwhile, Tenerife relied on three-pointers to stay in the game, but it was the veteran and effective Shermadini, another interior player, who levelled the battle with ten consecutive points, making it a very balanced contest from then on.

After the break, the first cup semi-final shifted focus to outside shooting, where Alberto Díaz shone, usually more focused on less glamorous tasks. However, it was Sima once again, as at the start, who propelled Unicaja. Ibon Navarro's team extended their lead to +14 midway through the final quarter, a critical situation for the aurinegros.

Marcelinho Huertas, who else, took charge and brought uncertainty to the match with another great performance. It wasn't enough to challenge the predictions that placed Unicaja in the final, their third in six years.