In the Endesa League, after the 28th round, Unicaja from Malaga managed to close the gap with its nearest rivals by defeating Hiopos Lleida. The team now sits in eighth place, just one step behind La Laguna Tenerife and Joventut, who are sixth and seventh, respectively. Baskonia, currently in fifth, still leads Unicaja by three wins, and with only six rounds remaining, catching up to them is almost impossible.
The race for eighth place is becoming increasingly tense. Unicaja now leads Bilbao by one win, although the Basque club already played their match this round earlier due to schedule changes. Bilbao faces a tough schedule ahead: in the next round they will meet Covirán Granada, who, after recent wins over Unicaja and Andorra (89-86), has improved significantly and is fighting to stay in the league.
Unexpected results at the bottom of the table
At the bottom of the standings, several teams delivered surprises. Burgos won away against Manresa (94-101), with Yannick Nzosa, on loan from Unicaja, playing a key role. Dremland Gran Canaria, who will meet Ibon Navarro’s team on Wednesday, defeated Girona (100-90). Currently, Andorra and Granada occupy the relegation zones with seven and five wins, respectively, while Burgos and Gran Canaria each have eight.
Leaders and key matches of the round
At the top of the table, the central event was the league leader Madrid’s visit to Valencia, who are in second place. Madrid confidently controlled the game and, thanks to the scoring performances of Hezonja and Tavares (17 and 18 points), won 82-96. Murcia remains in third place after beating La Laguna Tenerife (86-80), with DeJulius scoring 23 points. Barcelona strengthened their position in fourth with an away win over Baskonia (92-95).
Context and the race for Eurocup spots
The current battle for playoff spots and survival in the Endesa League highlights the intense competition in Spanish basketball. A similar situation was recently seen in LaLiga, where Real Sociedad and Getafe fought for European qualification — you can read more about this in the article about the key match in San Sebastián.
