What would have been a morale boost for Dreamland Gran Canaria ahead of the derby against Lenovo Tenerife at the Santiago Martín Pavilion in La Laguna on Sunday (12:00 pm) turned out to be nothing. The Tenerife team was playing in Greece to qualify for the quarter-finals of the Champions League as group winners, in order to have home advantage.
However, with Hapoel Jerusalem losing to Pinar Karsiyaka from Turkey, Tenerife’s defeat against Peristeri (90-82) had no consequences. This means that in the lead-up to the Final Four, Chus Vidorreta’s team avoid high-level opponents like Unicaja and most likely UCAM Murcia, as well as eliminating the Hebrew team in the process.
Coach Jaka Lakovic and the rest of his coaching staff will have taken good note from yesterday’s match. Especially the performance of a duo that proved lethal for the Greeks. One of the members was Marcelinho Huertas, but this time he partnered with a different player, Giorgi Shermadini.
The Brazilian point guard teamed up this time with Kyle Guy, a winter signing for Lenovo Tenerife who has been delivering impressive performances in these few months. Together, they scored 58 out of the 82 points for the island team. The first one reached 31 points, while the Indiana player ended with 26 points. They were responsible for 31 of the first 34 points that Canarias scored after halftime.
The American, formerly with Joventut, will experience his first Canary Islands derby on Sunday, although he will be well aware of the special nature of these regional rivalry matches; having already faced less friendly atmospheres in Greece during his brief spell at the powerful Panathinaikos.
As for Dreamland Gran Canaria, it’s the calm before the storm, literally. After their defeat against BAXI Manresa, all attention is now on the visit to a venue where they haven’t won in the last five years.
The main concern for Jaka Lakovic’s team is to monitor the progress of the two injured players who did not travel to Catalonia: Roko Prkacin and Jovan Kljajic.
[–>
The Croatian forward, who was also absent against Zaragoza due to shoulder problems, has not fully integrated into the group. On the other hand, the young shooting guard, after a head knock, is fit to play.
Subscribe to continue reading
