Marcelinho Huertas could not do it all alone as La Laguna Tenerife fell short against Rytas Vilnius (87-69) in the first semifinal of the Basketball Champions League Final Four in Badalona. The Spanish side suffered from a terrible shooting night from beyond the arc, while Rytas capitalized and advanced to the title game.
Huertas, defended by Harding (image credit: Javier Borrego / Zuma Press / Profimedia). The Brazilian veteran was the only Tenerife player who met expectations, scoring 21 points, but Jerrick Harding led Rytas with a stellar performance of 29 points and 25 efficiency.
Tension in a semifinal often leads to tight wrists, which explained the poor three-point shooting in the first half: Rytas made 3 of 12, Tenerife only 1 of 10. The islanders did not improve in the second half either. Despite a strong start by Huertas (8 points in the first quarter), Tenerife trailed 18-17 after the opening period.
Coach Txus Vidorreta grew frustrated as his team, even with two point guards on the floor, could not generate offense. Harding kept scoring for Rytas (33-24, 15th minute). Patty Mills hit Tenerife