It seems Unicaja has developed a taste for the thrill of comeback victories. Their latest win, a 97-91 triumph over Galatasaray, marked another incredible fourth-quarter resurgence, securing a win at the undefeated Carpena in European competition. The trio of Carter, Ejim, and Perry were instrumental in the team’s reaction, alongside a lively home crowd that propelled their squad through the tough moments. This victory allowed Unicaja to reclaim the basket average after the 84-82 loss in Istanbul the previous week.
The game began with Unicaja reliving the ghosts of their previous encounter in Istanbul. The Turkish team, led by Wallace and Delgado, jumped to an 8-3 lead, forcing Unicaja into an early struggle. Kendrick Perry stood out as the best performer for the home team in the opening stages, but Unicaja’s coach, Ibon Navarro, had to call a timeout as the visitors stretched their lead to ten points. Cummings then took over, scoring seven consecutive points to try and turn the tide. Despite their coach’s urgings, Unicaja continued to play nervously, ending the first quarter seven points down. The Carpena crowd began to apply pressure on the referees, who were strict with the home team’s defense, as the quarter ended 20-27 in favor of Galatasaray.
The break seemed to work in Unicaja’s favor, as they started to react. Tyson Pérez and Sima began to close the gap, with the Malaga team finding their rhythm through three-pointers. Tyson Carter and Melvin Ejim were the key figures in this resurgence, scoring from beyond the arc to level the game at 30 points. However, Izundu and Young restored Galatasaray’s lead, and the game became more evenly matched. Unicaja managed to get back into the game through a series of steals, with Osetkowski tying the score with a well-taken three-pointer. As the half drew to a close, another small Turkish run left Unicaja frustrated, with Cummings, Palmer, and Geyik extending their team’s lead to 45-54.
Galatasaray maintained their pace after the restart, increasing their advantage to over ten points thanks to the speed and effectiveness of Cummings and Young. Unicaja then looked to react, with Perry taking the lead and Carter providing support, managing to reduce the deficit to just two points. However, Palmer and Tuncer pushed the visitors forward once more, although Taylor and Ejim responded to keep Unicaja in the game. A triple from Blumbergs left the score at 66-72 at the end of the third quarter, setting the stage for an exciting conclusion.
The final quarter saw a more aggressive Unicaja. Kravish and Kam Taylor got the Carpena crowd fully involved, with Yakup Sekizkok calling a timeout to try and stem the tide. Galatasaray continued to cause problems in attack, but Unicaja struggled to find their footing. Palmer was making his presence felt, and the home team relied on Perry’s decisive points to stay in the game. A steal by Osetkowski got Unicaja back into contention, and the locals closed to within two points. The game was now a thrilling back-and-forth affair, with both teams trading baskets. Tyson Pérez broke the deadlock with a three-pointer, giving Unicaja their first significant lead of the game with two minutes remaining. Another triple, this time from Tyson Carter, sealed the comeback and capped off an incredible final quarter. The win ultimately went to the home team, thanks to the Carpena crowd and Unicaja’s offensive work, in front of 9,000 fans, with a final score of 97-91, reclaiming the basket average and solidifying their lead in the BCL group.