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Baskonia’s return to the Final Eight, fueled by strong motivation and defensive stability, comes at a time when Tenerife, weakened by the absence of Huertas, may struggle to match a rival eager to reassert itself on the domestic stage.
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The Spanish Copa del Rey traditionally delivers high-level basketball, and there is little doubt that this season will be no different.
Baskonia finally return to the Final Eight after missing the previous two editions. They have lifted this trophy six times, but not since 2009, which adds extra motivation to make a strong statement. They prepared for the tournament with an important 76–69 away win in Bilbao, prevailing despite a poor three-point shooting percentage thanks to disciplined and compact defense.
On the other side, Tenerife may not be having a season at the level of some previous campaigns, yet they remain a team capable of troubling anyone when performing at their limit. Their main issue at the moment is the absence of their key player, Marcelinho Huertas, who has missed the last three games through injury, significantly reducing their chances of pulling off an upset.
In the three games without Huertas, Tenerife recorded two wins and one loss — falling to San Pablo Burgos while defeating Breogan and Nymburk in the FIBA Basketball Champions League. However, Baskonia represent by far the toughest opponent in that stretch. Huertas’ absence is likely to be particularly noticeable against a rival entering this matchup highly motivated to reestablish itself among Spain’s top contenders and make a deep run after several seasons without a major domestic impact.
