SAN CRISTOBAL DE LA LAGUNA (Spain) - Heading to the BCL Final Four 2025 in Athens, it wasn't clear whether Galatasaray MCT Technic had the sufficient qualities to take down La Laguna Tenerife.
However, with a perfect second half, the Turkish Lions made their way to the last and most important game of the season. Almost one year later, they're back against each other in the BCL Quarter-Finals of Season X of the Basketball Champions League, powered by Ameresco SUNEL.
How did they get here?
Tenerife's season has been characterized by roller-coaster emotions. They started on a four-game winning streak, then lost at home for the first time in four years, and finally got back to usual business in the Round of 16.
Among the best eight teams in Season X, they have the second-worst record, at 8-4 - tied with Rytas Vilnius, while ERA Nymburk are at 6-8. But you can never underestimate the heart of the (very first) champions.
Moreover, an already well-equipped team that still adds an absolute superstar like Patty Mills must be considered among the contenders for the BCL Final Four in Badalona. There are no doubts about it.
Since we were talking about roller coasters, Galatasaray's campaign has been nothing but extravagant. If it wasn't for the one-point home loss (80-79) to Trieste, they would have finished the Group Phase perfect at 6-0.
It looked like they were certain enough to finish off strong in the BCL Round of 16, but their inaugural and ultimate home defeats to Le Mans Sarthe Basket (90-83) and Rytas Vilnius (90-81) complicated things.
If that wasn't enough, don't forget they have added Gianmarco Pozzecco as their new head coach during the season. Talking about madness, and thinking of Istanbul and Poz together, that's quite a powerful mix.
Have they been here before?
Having been a constant presence in the competition since the very first season in 2016-17, Tenerife have missed out on getting to the BCL Quarter-Finals only once, losing to Murcia in the 2017-18 Round of 16.
Obviously, their trophy cabinet speaks for itself, being full of golden hardware: they've qualified for the BCL Final Four five times and lifted the trophy twice, in 2017 and 2022.
After four straight seasons without managing to get a spot in the BCL Quarter-Finals, reaching the Round of 16 in three consecutive campaigns, Galatasaray have now earned back-to-back appearances at this stage.
In 2024-25, they even succeeded in getting to the BCL Final Four in Athens, losing only to Unicaja in the final game of the season after eliminating Tenerife in the Semi-Finals.
What worked well?
It's difficult to mention something different for Tenerife, statistics-wise, when some of their players are literally the all-time leaders in BCL history in:
Points: Giorgi Shermadini (1370);
Rebounds: Tim Abromaitis (580);
Assists: Marcelinho Huertas (733);
Games played: Tim Abromaitis (126).
The list can also go on if we consider that the two best-ever in three-pointers made are Aaron Doornekamp (188) and Sasu Salin (207), who have both played only with Tenerife in the competition.
We can also say that Txus Vidorreta's team are undefeated at home in the BCL Quarter-Finals, having won all of their last eight such games, while Galatasaray are 0-3 in games played on Spanish territory in the league.
Gianmarco Pozzecco's team's specialty relies on a scoring collective effort: six different players have scored 20+ points in a single game for them this season, most in the BCL.
Moreover, their bench unit has collected 48.3 points per game, which is the most by any team in the BCL since the start of 2026. That's just a coded way of saying they've got Errick McCollum.
Key matchup
When talking about scoring excellence, one of the first names that comes to mind has to be Patty Mills. The 37-year-old Australian legend has entertained us for years at the Olympic Games and at FIBA Basketball World Cup events.
Seeing him hoop in the BCL is a joy to watch, especially alongside another master of the game like Marcelinho Huertas. He came to Europe to deliver straight away, and this series could be the right platform to do so.
This will be a matchup featuring several veterans for both teams, and while Tenerife will be propelled by Patty Mills, Galatasaray must trust Errick McCollum down the line.
Already a club legend, contributing to the victory of the EuroCup back in 2015-16, he's still in Istanbul shining for the Turkish side one decade later. At 38 years old, he's 3rd in the league for points per game (18.8).
X Factors
Patty Mills hasn't been the only addition that has increased, if possible, Tenerife's leadership in 2025-26. In the summer of 2025, Txus Vidorreta's team brought in Rokas Giedraitis, especially for games like the upcoming ones.
The Lithuanian forward hasn't lived the perfect season in terms of consistency, but has still put up 9.5 points per game heading into the Quarter-Finals. Most importantly, he knows how to handle the pressure.
Obviously, if we speak about black-and-yellow leaders, we can't rule out the Brazilian point god. Marcelinho Huertas had to miss some glimpses of the season, but his return to action was absolutely unbelievable.
With 28 clutch points against Dreamland Gran Canaria, he led the team to a crucial tie-breaking victory. Time passes, but even at 42 years of age, Tenerife's No.9 is the one to underline on the scouting report.
Similarly, Galatasaray's ambition has to be linked to the way James Palmer Jr performs in the BCL Quarter-Finals. Against the same opponents, he had a 15-point winning effort in last season's BCL Final Four.
Moving to Season X, he hasn't stopped being a scoring machine for the red-and-yellow powerhouse, averaging 14.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game, displaying all-round brilliancy.
If it wasn't for a tough shooting night (2 points over 1-of-8 from the field) against Hapoel Netanel Holon, he would have entered the Quarter-Finals by scoring in double-digits in every game he has played.
Lastly, don't forget Galatasaray can also count on powerful forwards such as Fabian White Jr (13.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game) and John Meeks, whose 26 points against Holon prove that he can shine on any given night.
How are they doing recently? (Last 10 games in all competitions, domestic season records)
TEAM | LAST 10 GAMES | DOMESTIC RECORD |
|---|---|---|
La Laguna Tenerife | 5-5 in all competitions | 14-9 (8th) in the Spanish League |
Galatasaray MCT Technic | 6-4 in all competitions | 13-10 (8th) in the Turkish League |