Patty Mills dribbles past Barreiro’s defense. / BCL
A bronze medal battle that proved too lengthy for CB Canarias. The team from La Laguna lost 85-80 to Unicaja in the third-place game, committing too many errors in the closing stretch while their opponents capitalized on key opportunities. Despite controlling the scoreboard for nearly 23 minutes (the laguneros led for less than nine minutes overall), Txus Vidorreta’s squad once again ran out of steam before the final buzzer.
The 23 points from Patty Mills and 14 from Gio Shermadini were not enough for the laguneros, who likely felt the absence of Marce Huertas, ruled out due to groin discomfort. Although they shot well from beyond the arc in the first half (8/18), their 4/11 mark in the second half hampered their efforts, leaving them off the podium for the second consecutive year.
**A Stronger Start than Thursday**
CB Canarias began the game with much more fluidity than they had on Thursday. Van Beck quickly showed he had not lost his touch, hitting a triple but also picking up two fouls in just a couple of minutes, while Shermadini imposed himself in the paint, grabbing rebounds and finishing close to the basket (4-7). Unicaja exploited Van Beck’s defensive weaknesses and briefly threatened to turn the tide (10-7).
At that point, the introduction of Patty Mills—who was completely different from his semifinal performance—added a new dimension to the laguneros’ attack. He first knocked down two triples, then assisted Scrubb for another three-pointer (12-18, 8′). Although Canarias did not completely lose their offensive spark (committing only one turnover in the first quarter), they appeared very soft on defense from then on.
**Defensive Struggles in the First Quarter**
The aurinegros allowed several offensive rebounds and lacked toughness in individual matchups, failing to stop drives to the basket or prevent multiple and-one opportunities. As a result, Unicaja capitalized on their free-throw visits (8/8, with Canarias quickly in the penalty), going on a 12-4 run to end the first quarter ahead, 24-22.
**Second Quarter: Laguneros Bite Back**
In the second period, the laguneros tightened their defense, making it harder for Unicaja to score (though they still gave up some second-chance opportunities). On offense, they showed patience and found better looks, taking a 29-28 lead. The game seemed to become more physical, but the entries of Jaime Fernández and Kendrick Perry raised the intensity.
**An Uptempo Game Ideal for Mills**
The back-and-forth style, under normal circumstances, would not favor the aurinegros, but they thrived with Mills as the finisher. The Australian delivered again, sinking two consecutive triples (14 points and two assists by halftime), followed by another from Abromaitis (37-43). In just 18 minutes, Txus Vidorreta’s men had already made four times as many three-pointers as they did in the entire semifinal: 8 to 2.
Despite still struggling to defend one-on-one drives and missing some finishes under the basket (like Fernández’s final penetration), Canarias went into halftime with a 41-45 lead, mainly because they were recognizable on offense. They hit from deep (8 threes), moved the ball fluidly, assisted generously (13 assists), and took care of the ball (only two turnovers, none leading to Unicaja fast-break points)—everything they had failed to show just 48 hours earlier.
**Post-Halftime Slump**
The Mills-Shermadini connection offered a brief glimmer to open the third quarter, but soon Canarias fell apart in a way they had not in the first 20 minutes. They repeated their defensive permissiveness under the basket, giving up second chances, and made poor decisions on offense, committing four turnovers in just over three minutes. The laguneros also struggled with transition defense and failed to contain Balcerowski (13-3 run), forcing themselves to play catch-up.
