Unicaja Málaga Downs MoraBanc Andorra 92-84 in Liga ACB Thriller

MoraBanc Andorra suffered a 92-84 defeat to Unicaja Málaga in their second Liga ACB outing of the season, played before 9,275 fans at the Palacio de Deportes José María Martín Carpena.

Coach Zan Tabak's squad trailed by as much as 18 points in the first half but mounted several comebacks, closing quarters strongly despite inconsistent shooting from beyond the arc and defensive lapses. James Akinjo topped Andorra's scoring with 20 points and seven assists, while Artem Pustovyi delivered 19 points and nine rebounds. Unicaja's Ignas Brazdeikis led all scorers with 19 points, followed by Amine Noua with 16.

Andorra opened sluggishly, with Unicaja jumping to an 18-11 edge after early misses and soft defense allowed the hosts to capitalize inside. Substitutions of Best and Pustovyi shifted momentum, bolstering rebounding and paint presence to end the first quarter at 24-20.

A 7-0 Unicaja run quickly pushed the gap to 11 points (31-20) early in the second. Andorra's poor three-point shooting forced a Tabak timeout as fouls mounted and the lead swelled to 18 (44-26). A 3-13 response, fueled by improved triples and Pustovyi, tightened it to 47-39 at halftime.

Unicaja struck first after the break with a 6-0 burst, prompting another stoppage amid easy baskets conceded. Tabak's adjustments sparked a 2-10 reply from Akinjo and Pustovyi, drawing within six at 55-49. Sporadic surges kept Andorra alive, trailing 72-63 after three quarters.

The hosts opened the fourth with a 7-0 run to 79-63, leaving visitors in bonus fouls with over eight minutes left. Andorra chipped away late through Akinjo's drives, Kuric's outside shooting, and Pustovyi's interior work, but Noua and Brazdeikis secured the win.

Unicaja paid tribute to Tabak, a former player who retired with the club in 2005. They also marked the 25th anniversary of the Copa Korac by honoring Paco Vázquez.

Now 0-2, Andorra faces a busy week: the rescheduled Joventut game in Badalona on Wednesday, then Río Breogán at home on Saturday at 19:30.

Unicaja Málaga (92): Pantzar 12, Hunt 14, Brazdeikis 19, Noua 16, Kravish 12; Hernangómez 4, Perry 12, Barreiro 0, Kalinoski 3, Djedovic 0, Thomas 0, Lukosius DNP. Coach: Txus Vidorreta.

MoraBanc Andorra (84): Akinjo 20, Robertson 2, Mutic 2, Iwundu 5, Radosevic 8; Pustovyi 19, McGriff 7, Kuric 11, Andronikashvili 2, Best 5, Ortega 3, Aquino DNP. Coach: Zan Tabak.

Quarters: 24-20, 47-39, 72-63, 92-84.

Referees: Carlos Cortés, Joaquín García González, Ariadna Chueca. No ejections.